


Diary of Trainer Seth

by KerrigorRose, Minnie Schiffer (KerrigorRose)



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2018-10-20 08:29:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 78,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10658796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KerrigorRose/pseuds/KerrigorRose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KerrigorRose/pseuds/Minnie%20Schiffer
Summary: Norman Rhines is an accomplished Pokémon trainer who managed to secure a position as the gym leader of Petalburg City, a prominent town in Hoenn. Because of this, he had his family - consisting of his wife, Caroline, and his son, Seth - to move overseas from Johto to join him. Seth was a young man who, unlike his father, was not a trainer, and instead held a passion for exploration. Yet, not long after arriving in Hoenn, he recieved his first pokemon, and together the two of them set out to explore Hoenn, having many a sexual adventure along the way!





	1. Arrival in Hoenn

It was a world of unending chaos. Towering waves crashed down on a battered shore. Glowing rivers of molten fury erupted forth from spires of blackened rock. The skies tore with lightning emanating from roiling inky black darkness. What manner of beings could survive in the midst of such destruction?

A dark haired girl shrouded in shadow, who wore a twisted maniacal grin. A man in a pinstripe suit stood atop a mountain with his arms outstretched. An arena filled with the cheers of thousands of people sat in encompassing bleachers. Multiple images flashed by too quickly to made sense of, increasing in frequency and in speed, until finally…

The moving truck shuddered and shook violently. One wheel sunk into a pothole for a brief moment, shaking awake the young man in the cargo trailer. He inhaled sharply and rested a hand on a nearby box to steady himself. He blinked to the sleep out of his eyes as he took in the interior of the trailer. He recalled quickly that he was in the back of his family’s moving truck that was currently en route to Littleroot Town, which was to be his new home.

The young man recently turned nineteen, yet he was blessed with a youthful appearance. His face had rounded cheeks and a pointed chin, as well as a small sharp nose. Additionally, his face was clean shaven and devoid of stubble; he never had been able to grow any kind of body hair. His head was swathed in a mess of silky black hair that extended to his shoulders, framing his face and blending well with his baby blue eyes to complete his youthful look.

He was dressed in a loose biking outfit that was colored an orange red and decorated with black stripes, as well as a tight set of black shorts that stretched down to his knees. Beside him was a green pouch upon which the name “Seth Rhines” was sewn in white thread.

Seth yawned softly and adjusted himself into a sitting position. He rested his head in one hand, attempting to remember what he’d been dreaming about. He remembered some sort of natural disaster, as well as people and Pokémon that he was certain he’d never met. Yet, even though he knew that, the vague recollections of the people he’d seen instilled a strange nostalgic feeling in him, as though they were important to him. He shook his head, deciding it wasn’t worth worrying about. It was simply a dream, and now he had more important things to worry about. The truck seemed to be slowing down, and it was making more turns than before. That meant they were off the highway.

The truck coasted to a halt and idled for a few minutes before the vehicle powered down. Seth slung his bag over his shoulder and got to his feet, using the boxes as leverage. He felt excitement growing in his chest at the thought of seeing his new hometown for the first time.

The shutters of the trailer rattled briefly and then rose to reveal an older woman in her early forties. Her hair was reddish and tied up in a tight bun, and she wore a bright smile that betrayed her equal excitement. Seth’s expression soon mirrored hers.

“Come on out, Seth! We’re finally here!” she announced cheerfully. Seth wasted no time in leaping out of the back of the truck, landing on his feet onto the soft grass. “You’re probably all cramped up from sitting in the back all that time. You should have made the moving guy sit back there instead.”

“It wasn’t too bad. Like I said, it was an adventure,” Seth assured his mother light-heartedly. Her name was Caroline, and she was wholly devoted to his father. He turned his attention away from her, looking around the town that he now found himself in. “So this is Littleroot Town, huh?”

According to the brochure, Littleroot was the smallest town in Hoenn, yet it was also home to one of the region’s most well-known scientists: Professor Birch. Looking around, Seth noted that he stood in a grassy clearing that was encircled by a dirt path and decorated with a mixture of birch and oak trees. Bird Pokémon of a type Seth didn’t recognize flew from branch to branch, or even descended to the clearing to hunt for worms.

“Yes, this is our new home! I hope you’ll like it here,” Caroline confirms. She steps around the side of the truck, meeting up with the older man who was an employee of the moving company that owned the truck. “Can we get the bedrooms set up first?”

While his mother converses with the employee, Seth takes a walk around the clearing, looking at the different buildings. The most obvious one is the house at which they’d parked. It was a simple two story house made from wood and plaster with a shingled roof. Seth hummed approvingly.

There were several houses around the edges of the clearing that looked visually like this one, with one exception. At the southern end of the clearing was a path that led directly to a longer building with a taller roof made of wooden slats. There was a sign out front that labeled it as Professor Birch’s lab.

“What do you think, Seth?” Caroline caught up to him, having finished her conversation with the employee. From here, Seth could see the employee calling out multiple strong Machoke that started to unload the truck. “I know it’s not as urban as Olivine City, but…”

“That works for me. Olivine always felt somewhat stifling. The streets were too narrow and the rooms were tiny; there was just never enough space,” Seth related after cutting off his mother’s pandering tone. “Plus, if I wanted to see nature, I had to go all the way to the beach. If it weren’t for Jasmine, I’d have gone stir crazy.”

Caroline laughed at his explanation. “I suppose you’re right. So you do like it here?” she insisted.

Seth shrugged. “It’s too early to tell for sure, but it definitely feels homey. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much green before,” he answered, and he started to walk the perimeter of the clearing. “So how long do you think it’ll be before I can get settled into my room?”

“I tried to get the movers to unload your boxes first, but it might be a while,” Caroline admitted ruefully, causing Seth to sigh. “Why don’t we go visit the professor’s lab? We’re just waiting around anyway.”

“Might as well. I’m going to want to explore the town too at some point.” Seth fell into step beside his mother, his hands resting in his pockets.

“Don’t go getting lost just yet. We’ve only just arrived,” Caroline laughs.

“That’s early enough. You know I’m not one to sit around the house all day,” Seth remarked. While they walked, he noticed a thick red wormlike Pokémon inching along the brush beneath one of the trees. “You know, I haven’t recognized a single one of these Pokémon since I got here. It’s kind of cool.”

“Your father said that this region has a lot of Pokémon that can only be found here,” Caroline replies with a nod. She then shakes her head. “It’s probably one of the reasons he pushed so hard for us to come here.”

“Apart from becoming able to be a Gym Leader you mean,” Seth quipped just as the two of them reached the front door of the lab. “I can’t wait to see him battle. Anyway, it looks like we’re here.”

“Let’s hope we’re not interrupting. I know Norman said that the professor wanted to meet us.” Caroline reached out her hand and knocked on the door firmly. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a thin woman in a white lab coat.

“Hm? Oh, are you Norman’s family?” the woman asked as she adjusted her glasses with a slender finger.

“That’s right. My name is Caroline, and this is my son, Seth.” My mother briefly shook hands with the scientist. “Is the professor in?”

“Unfortunately not. He’s away on field work, and likely won’t be back until tomorrow,” the scientist divulged. “Still, allow me to welcome you to Hoenn. Would you like to come inside for some tea?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Caroline accepted. Before stepping inside, she turned to look at Seth. “You don’t have to come inside if you don’t want to. I know you’re dying to look around the town.”

“You know me so well. If you don’t mind then.” Seth took the opportunity to head back towards the center of the clearing, leaving his mother to socialize as she pleased.

Excited, Seth rubbed his hands together and set off on a walk. Ever since he was a kid, Seth had always enjoyed exploring; a habit that often led him into trouble when he inevitably stumbled upon restricted areas. This habit had never died, and the first thing Seth did upon finding a new place was explore. His new hometown was no exception.

Seth noted that Littleroot was very nature-friendly, in that all the roads were dirt and the well-tended grass was a vibrant green. Trees filled the empty spaces between houses and roads, causing a mottled pattern of light to fall upon the streets below. He took in a deep breath and then released it. The air was much cleaner than it had been in Olivine.

The town was small, however, and it only took him about an hour to fully explore it. Eventually he found his way back to his new house. Seth noticed an unfamiliar middle-aged woman watching the Machoke carrying boxes and back and forth with a curious gaze.

“Are you our new next door neighbors?” the woman addressed him after Seth called out to her. When Seth nods, she smiles warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Janessa Birch.”

Seth shook her hand, taking note of the name. “I’m Seth Rhines. Birch, huh? We were just looking for your husband.”

Janessa’s smile turns apologetic. “Mm, Adam is very busy, and is never in the lab if he can help it. He prefers to do all of his work out in the field,” she revealed.

“Yes, that’s what his assistant said. Is that woman his assistant? Or is she just an employee?” Seth inquired curiously, placing his hands back in his pockets.

“Oh, Ms. Li is one of his aides. They take care of the lab whenever he’s gone,” Janessa explained. She then changed the subject. “But I doubt you want to talk about how his lab works. You should meet our daughter!”

“You have a daughter?”

“Mhm! Her name is May, and she’s an aspiring Pokémon trainer. Isn’t that amazing?” Janessa gushed, her face glowing as she talked about her daughter. Seth’s interest was slightly piqued as well, at the mention of her being a trainer. Seth didn’t have any Pokémon, but he’d seen his fair share of trainers thanks to his father. He’d never spoken to one apart from Jasmine, however. “She was excited to hear that someone else her age was moving into town. She’d be delighted to meet you!”

Seth turned back to look at the lab. His mother didn’t seem to be coming out just yet, so he decided it wouldn’t hurt to go along with the Birches. “Sure, I’ll bite. I’ve never spoken to any trainers other than my dad,” Seth confirmed. “Let me just tell my mother where I’m going.”

He pulled out his phone, which was an old box-shaped piece of machinery that had only two functions: calling and texting. It had three numbers in it: his mother’s, his father’s, and Jasmine’s, who had been his best friend back in Olivine. He typed out a quick message to Caroline, and then he pocketed it again.

Janessa gladly led Seth back to her house, which was directly next to his. She continued to talk about May all the way to the front door. “She hasn’t earned any badges yet, but she’s good at battling, so it’s only a matter of time!” she continued as they entered the front room.

“No doubt,” Seth agreed, choosing to take her at her word. It’s not as though he would know whether a trainer was good or not. “That aside, where is she? I don’t see her down here.”

“May’s upstairs, likely in her bedroom. It’s the one all the way at the end of the hall,” Janessa revealed. She then raised her voice, causing Seth to wince. “May! You have a visitor!”

“Okay, mom!” a faint voice sounded from upstairs. As expected it sounded like a young female. Seth made sure to straighten the tangles out of his hair. He wanted to make a good impression on his next-door neighbors. Jasmine wasn’t going to be around anymore, so if he messed this up, it would get very lonely around here.

“Go on, she’s waiting for you. Feel free to stay as long as you like! Dinner’s at seven!” Janessa directed him, and then she sat down on the couch, turning on the TV to the Hoenn News channel.

“Alright. Thanks for the hospitality, ma’am,” Seth replied politely, and then he excused himself. He walked up the narrow stairwell, wondering what kind of person May would be. He couldn’t tell anything from the two words he heard a minute ago.

When Seth reached the room he was directed to, he found the door open. He became aware of the familiar rapid clacking sound that usually corresponded with a gaming system. “Hey, come on in! I’m just finishing up a game,” May called out to him. That sounded like an invitation, so Seth entered the room.

He immediately froze at what he saw. May was sitting on her bed and looked to be the same age, if not a bit younger than Seth. She had a cute rounded face, her expression set into one of determination. Her hair was a light brown, and hung down the sides of her head in two distinct bangs. Her form was clearly feminine, with a slim curved waist and slender legs. Her breasts were rather small but noticeable. Additionally, she was wearing nothing except a pink lacy bra and a matching pair of panties.

Seth yelped and immediately retreated out of the room. May blinked and watched him go. “What are you doing? I said you could come in,” she repeated, perplexed.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you weren’t dressed,” Seth apologized, already cursing his lack of sense. This was hardly the way to make a good impression.

“Of course I’m not. It’s springtime in the south, so it’s very warm. Plus, I’m not going anywhere for the rest of the day,” May responded as though nothing was wrong. Seth wondered if he was hearing her right. She was talking as though she was okay with the fact that he’d walked in on her in her underwear. “So are you coming in or not?”

“Are you going to get dressed?” Despite her words, Seth was not comfortable at all with this.

“No,” May answered promptly. When Seth still didn’t enter the room, she sighed. Seth’s eyes bugged out when May walked out of her room, still wearing her underwear, and pulled him by the arm into her room. She walked back towards the bed, her butt shifting appealingly with every step. It was difficult for Seth not to look, due to the way her underwear accentuated it. “You’re so weird. Sit down! I heard from my dad that your family was coming in today, and I was hoping we could be friends. I’m May.”

“I-I’m Seth. It’s nice to meet you,” he couldn’t help but stammer, even as he sat down beside her.

The room itself was spacious compared to the apartment rooms to which Seth was accustomed. The bed upon which they sat was queen-sized and decorated with images of cute Pokémon that Seth didn’t recognize. There was a desk across the room tucked up against the wall, atop of which was a computer complete with a storage access device that would allow the storage of objects or Pokémon. Beside the desk was a TV stand, where a gaming system was hooked up.

Seth easily recognized the game she was playing. Pokémon Super Contest was a game that simulated contests that took place in some of the regions in the country. He’d never played the game nor had he ever seen a contest, but he knew that it was popular with girls.

“I heard you’re a trainer from your mom. What kinds of Pokémon do you train?” He did his best to keep eye contact with her, trying as hard as he could to avoid looking at her breasts.

“Whichever ones catch my eye, really. I don’t go for a specific type,” May answered eagerly. “I like ones that are cute, personally. Hold on, I’ll show you mine. Come on out, Cruxy!”

At first nothing happened, and Seth was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. Then, he spotted a wisp of darkness breaking away from the shadow cast by the TV. Seth watched in awe as the wisp formed into the hazy form of a small black robed figure wearing a skull mask. Its arms trailed away into nothing, and its legs combined into a single wisp. Its eye sockets were empty save for a glowing red orb that hovered between the two holes.

“What is that? I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Seth asks, leaning into get a closer look. Crux mirrored the motion, appearing to be just as curious. May was only too happy to explain.

“Oh, this is Crux. He’s a Duskull, a ghost-type native to this region. He’s so adorable with his little skull mask,” May commented, brushing her face up against Crux, who seemed to tolerate her affection.

“You think the skull is cute?” Seth couldn’t help but remark.

“Yes! Just look at it! It’s not like it’s a real skull or anything; it looks all cartoony and it’s cute!” May explained, pouting a bit at Seth’s disbelief. “I caught him a few years ago, in the forest at night.”

“That must have been tough. I heard ghost types are difficult to even find, to say nothing of catching,” Seth deduced. He was starting to find that it was easier to ignore May’s near-nakedness if he had a conversation to focus on.

“He led me on a chase through the whole forest until I finally caught him. Now he’s stuck with me,” May related as she cradled Crux in her arms. The Duskull let out a faintly audible sigh, much to Seth’s amusement. “What about you? Do you have any Pokémon?”

“No,” Seth admitted.

“Really? Even though your father is going to be a gym leader?” May pressed, looking surprised. When Seth confirmed with a nod, she became curious. “I’m surprised. With a father like him, you’d think it would be easy for you to get one.”

“I’m sure I could, if I asked him for a spare poké ball. But I’ve never really been interested,” Seth confesses, causing May’s jaw to drop. “I’ve always been interested in exploring, and seeing Pokémon out in the wild. I never felt the need to take one away from its home.”

“I think you’re missing out. They’re wonderful companions,” May commented. Her expression then grew bright as she started to talk about herself. “As for me, I like to battle, but really I want to be a Pokémon contest star. I’ve been working on routines with Crux here, but it’s a work in progress. You should see the outfits I’m buying for the day when I go out on stage!”

“Contests, huh? I guess that’s not surprising, considering you’re playing Super Contest.” Seth pointedly avoids the subject of clothes and instead turns it onto the game May was playing.

“It’s so much fun. Have you ever played before?” May questioned as she picked her controller back up. When Seth shook his head, she offered him a second controller. “Do you want to learn?”

Seth looked over at the screen and decided that he had no reason to refuse. After all, it would be a good way to salvage his failed attempt to make a good impression. “Sure, why not. I’ve never seen a contest for myself.” Seth accepted the controller, much to May’s delight.

“Yes! If you like it, we’ll get along just fine!” May proclaimed, and then she proceeded to set up a new game for two players. “Now, let’s appeal!”

* * *

Seth found Pokémon Super Contest rather addicting, even though its target audience was girls. It offers a wide selection of Pokémon to choose from, though the choice of player avatar was rather limited to three select characters.

To win, it required gaining the most Heart Points over the course of multiple randomly selected challenges, beginning with a set dress-up stage and a set appeal stage. It also required the player to keep track of their Pokémon’s condition and protect them from the attempts of other Pokémon to distract or unnerve them during the appeal stage.

May was very good at it, unsurprisingly. She consistently outperformed Seth in every challenge, but it wasn’t as though she didn’t try to help him. Seth soon started to enjoy himself, despite how abysmally bad he was at dressing up his chosen Pokémon.

Time flew before he knew it, and before long, Janessa called them both down for dinner.

* * *

Seth sat down at the table looking at the spread set up before him. Janessa had put together a large salad filled with various fruits and vegetables. The sight made his mouth water. Before serving himself, he typed out another message to his mother, stating that he wasn’t going to be home for dinner.

“How are you two getting along?” Janessa inevitably asked once she sat down with the two of them at the dinner table. She didn’t seem to notice or care that May still remained mostly undressed. Seth figured it must be a common occurrence if her mother didn’t even bat an eye. Crux hovered near the chandelier, watching over them all in silence.

“Really well! I think we’ll be good friends!” May replied. Hearing this made Seth feel at ease, as it meant that he had succeeded at making a good impression. She then gave him a coy glance. “I have to say, I didn’t expect him to be so cute.”

Seth nearly choked on the food he was eating upon hearing that. He pounded his chest to clear his throat, though May and her mother weren’t paying attention to him.

“I did. Have you seen his father?” Janessa returned. She then gave Seth a discerning look, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. “You’re lucky; it seems like you got all of his good looks.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Seth replied uncomfortably. His embarrassment caused his face to heat up, and the two women to laugh. “How do you both know so much about my father?”

“He never told you? My husband and Norman have known each other since they were in school, and they’ve kept in touch ever since,” Janessa answered.

“Well, I suppose I did never ask,” Seth admitted.

“Anyway, it’s good to hear that you two are getting along so well,” Janessa returned the subject back to its starting point. She then gave May a knowing look. “Just don’t get too crazy.”

“No promises,” May retorted as she finishes the rest of her meal. She stood up from the table and placed her dishes in the sink, and then headed for the stairs. “Alright, I’m done down here. You coming, Seth? We still have a contest to finish.”

“One second.” Seth finished the rest of his salad and disposed of his dishes the same way. “Thanks for the meal, Mrs. Birch.”

“Anytime! We are neighbors now, after all,” Janessa replied graciously. “Don’t worry about cleaning up, I can handle that. You two go have fun.”

“Thanks, mom! Come on, Seth.” May stepped back and grabbed Seth by the hand, pulling him up the stairs after her. He stumbled at first due to her urging, but then he eventually allowed himself to be pulled back into her room. Unlike before, May closed the door to her room. Even though Seth hadn’t seen him follow, Crux faded into existence above the television, watching the two of them quietly. “Shall we finish up this contest?”

“Sure! I’m ready to finish losing,” Seth joked, picking his controller back up. May gave him a deadpan stare. “What? I’m kidding; this game is fun.”

“It totally is. I’ve spent so many hours on it. They keep adding content, so I keep playing,” May agreed.

She un-paused the game, and the two of them spent about ten more minutes finishing up the game. Near the end, when the points were being tallied, he become suddenly aware of May’s increased proximity. He didn’t remember her being this close to him when they’d started. She was so close, her arms touched his, and he could smell the perfume she wore.

“Alright, that’s enough of that.” When the game ended, May got up from the bed and switched off the game. Seth watched her with bemusement, as she hadn’t given him any indication that she was ready to stop.

“We’re done? I was just starting to get the hang of it,” Seth questioned. When May nodded, he grew confused. “So what are we going to now? Do you want me to go?”

“No, it’s still early. I just wanted a change of pace,” May answered, even though it was getting close to ten o’clock. “As for what we’re going to do…”

May placed a finger on her cheek as she thought. A mischievous smile crossed her face, and she looked at Seth with what he could only describe as predatory eyes. She leaned over, resting her hands on her knees. “Want to have sex?” she asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Sure, that sounds like…” Seth began, and then her words fully registered in his mind. He practically choked on his tongue, and his face heated up like a furnace. “W-Wait, w-what?! You’re kidding, right?!”

“What? No, I’m…oh wow, you’re turning so red!” May laughed at his reaction. She drew closer to him, slowly brushing a hand across his thigh. “You heard me right. Like I said downstairs: I think you’re cute. Want to have sex?”

“B-But…we’ve only just met…and your mother is downstairs…and…we just met! I…I…” Seth’s train of thought not only came to a shuddering halt at this situation, it ran into a second train of thought and promptly derailed both at the same time. He trailed on with his protests, but then before he realized it, May swooped forward, and a pair of silky soft lips pressed up against his, effectively silencing his protests. Seth’s eyes shot open wide and he fell over backwards as May pressed her body weight against him. 

When May broke off the kiss, Seth found himself lying on his back, with her straddling his chest. “May…this…I…”

“Shhh, relax,” May whispered to him, placing a finger against his lips. A realization then seemed to strike her. “Oh, I’m so dumb. You’re from Johto. That explains everything.”

“W-What does me being from Johto have to do with anything?” Seth managed to find his voice, despite the fact that his mind was racing after being kissed by such a pretty girl.

“I hear they’re really uptight over there. Let me guess, you’ve been brought up to think that sex is a huge deal and that you should only do it with one woman that you really trust?” May proceeded to summarize Seth’s upbringing quite succinctly and accurately. When Seth nodded, she sighed. “I feel so bad for you, and everyone else that lives over there. In Hoenn, it isn’t like that.”

Seth was having difficulty believing that he was having this conversation in the first place. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “What it is like in Hoenn?”

“There are no unwritten rules that restrict your sexuality over here,” May started to explain, tracing Seth’s collarbone with a finger. “While I wouldn’t say it’s as casual as a greeting, sex is as simple as doing someone else a favor, that’s all. If you find someone attractive enough and you like them, why hold yourself back?”

“That’s…very laid back. Is this for real?” Seth questioned, finding this way too good to be true. “You really want to have sex with me?”

“Yes, silly! I’ve been trying to say that for the past five minutes,” May remarked with some exasperation. As Seth watched in shock, she reached behind her back with one hand and undid the clasp to her bra, letting the garment fall from her chest, letting her small perky breasts hang free. Now that May was being so open about her intentions, Seth couldn’t stop himself from staring. “Don’t tell me…have you never seen a girl naked before? Is this your first time?”

May’s grin returned when all Seth could do was nod mutely. She reached her arms back and pressed her hands against her breasts, pushing them together. Seth’s breath caught in his throat at the rather appealing sight.

“You are just so cute,” May teased him, pressing a finger against his nose lightly. She sat up and shifted back a bit, her butt brushing over Seth’s crotch. He suddenly became very conscious of how hard he was getting. He started breathing faster, conscious thoughts falling apart the moment they were formed. May’s slender fingers traced down his chest. “You know, you’re very lucky. You didn’t find a girl who likes it simple and boring. I like to keep it spicy in the bedroom.”

“Oh…y-you do?” Seth managed to get out as he tried to gather his thoughts. May smiled and shrunk back just enough that she could tuck her fingers beneath the hem of his shorts. When she started to pull them down, he freaked. “Wait…hold on…”

May paused, her lips forming a pout. “What? You’re not going to tell me to stop, are you?” she asked, sounding somewhat upset. “You don’t want this?”

“That’s not it…it’s just…I…too much…too soon…” Seth did his best to explain how he was feeling, even though he was uncertain how he was feeling. May seemed to understand, as her eyes softened.

“Stop thinking about it so hard. Just let your instincts take over, and you’ll be alright. As a friend of mine once told me…” May continued tugging down Seth’s shorts as she spoke. “It’s only weird if you make it weird. Just relax and leave this part to me.”

Seth’s cheeks felt as though they were on fire, and it only got worse when she managed to remove his boxers as well, sliding them and his shorts off his legs and letting them hit the floor. His entire lower body was now exposed, and he began to feel self-conscious as May inspected his halfway hardened length. May’s eyes widened, and then she made an approving purr.

“Ooh, yes…we are definitely having sex,” May declared, the girl looking very pleased. She wrapped one hand around Seth’s shaft. The new sensation caused Seth’s breath to catch in his throat. May seemed to know what he was feeling; she placed her left hand on his chest. “Breathe. You’ll never enjoy it if you’re this stressed.”

Seth forced himself to breathe, and he started to feel a little better. May, satisfied, lowered her hand to rest just above his crotch and began using the other to slowly stroke his length. He bit his lip, finding it hard to watch. When he tried to look away, May used her left hand to force him to look at her.

“Don’t look away. That’s how things get weird,” she teased, never once pausing her stroking. Seth did his best to watch her like she wanted. He couldn’t help but let out a grunt every so often, which May seemed to enjoy. Every so often, she’d switch hands to let the other rest. This went on for around ten minutes before May noticed it. She gave an excited giggle. “You last so long. Most people would have cum by now. Are you close?”

“I think so…I’ve never done this before,” Seth admitted. May stopped stroking, causing him to look at her, perplexed. “Why did you stop?”

May didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up from the bed, turned around, and bent over. She hooked a finger into the hem of her panties and let them drop to the floor, revealing her bare butt for Seth to admire. From this angle, he could very clearly see her slick and clean shaven slit, as well as the darker divot just above it. Seth bit his lip; he was still a man. He felt the sudden urge to take her right now, but it was overpowered by his shyness.

“Because, I have a better way to finish you off,” May finally answered. She slowly sauntered over to the desk and sat down on the armless chair. She spun the chair around to face Seth, and then she beckoned to him with a single finger, a seductive smirk making its way onto her face. “Come here…”

Seth stood up from the bed, finding it awkward to move with his length as hard as it was. “What are you…?” he tried to ask.

“I told you, I don’t like doing it simple,” May responded. When Seth drew close enough, she spread her legs for him, once again revealing that enticing opening to him. “We’re going to do it right here.”

“On the chair?” Seth squeaked, as he came to a halt just in front of her. May’s response was to lower a hand between her legs and spread her lower lips with two fingers. She then grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. “Whoa!”

Seth reached out his hands to steady himself. The only place to rest his hands was on the back of the chair. Therefore, the chair rolled back against the wall and he would have lost his balance if May hadn’t caught him. She helped guide him down, using her hand to grasp his shaft and position it at her entrance.

“Are you sure I can…” Seth began, but May was out of patience. She grabbed his butt and pulled him forward, such that his tip sank into her entrance. Seth gasped immediately at the feeling, and he couldn’t help from going in deeper. May squeaked and let out a long exhale, a blush forming on her face.

“Mm…that’s what I wanted. You know what to do from here.” It wasn’t a question. Seth looked up at May, who was sucking her own arousal from the finger she’d used to spread herself previously. At this point, Seth couldn’t deny it to himself anymore. There was a pretty girl sitting before him that clearly wanted him, and he finally couldn’t keep resisting. He planted his hands on the back of the chair and started to thrust, letting instinct guide him. The moment he gave in, May let out a short cry, and her blush intensified. “Ahh! That’s more like it!”

May reached out her arms and locked them around the back of his neck. She pulled him in for another kiss, breathing quickly through her nose as Seth continued to rock his hips up against her. Seth found it hard to keep a steady rhythm at first, but the more he pounded her, the better he got, until he finally found the right position that gave him steady leverage.

It was a strenuous activity, and therefore a good number of his grunts were half made from exertion as well as pleasure. May, on the other hand, when she wasn’t kissing him, was squeaking and moaning, finding it very difficult to keep quiet. Every so often, she’d give him little directions with her hands or with single words, helping him find her most sensitive areas.

“Oh! Keep going! I’m gonna cum!” May implored him, the girl using her hands to steady herself. Seth quickened his pace. He could hear her squeaks and moans grew increasingly louder, so he assumed he was doing something right.

“I…I think I am too,” Seth admitted. He couldn’t tell for sure, but he could feel a pleasurable tingle in his shaft that grew increasingly more intense, making it difficult for him to keep from moaning. Suddenly, it reached a point where he couldn’t hold on anymore. “Ah! Ah! May, I…!

“Me too! Do it inside!” May directed him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Seth looked alarmed, knowing what that meant. When May noticed his expression, she smiled and indicated a bottle on the desk nearby. “Don’t...ahh! Don’t worry! I’m on…nngh…birth control!”

Thus reassured, Seth let himself go. What followed was what he could describe as the best feeling in his life. “Maaaay!” he groaned, and he felt himself squirt inside of her. His shaft throbbed and shot forth his creamy white seed. At the same time, May cried out, and her inner walls clamped down on his length, milking him for every drop.

Seth held himself there until exhaustion took over, and he staggered somewhat. May caught him and hugged him. “Whew…that wasn’t bad for your first time,” May teased him, one of her hands caressing his butt. “I even came from that.”

“Only because you were so patient with me,” Seth finally managed to get his words back, his mind gradually slowing down as he came down from his orgasm-induced high. He hesitantly made eye contact with May, remembering her words from before. “That was incredible…what have I been missing out on all these years?”

“Hey, if it’s any consolation, you’ve only missed one year. The laws on age of consent haven’t changed,” May retorted. She gave him a light tap on his chest. “Get off me, I need to clean up.”

“Oh, sorry,” Seth did as he was told, making a small moan as he pulled out of her. He winced when he saw how much he’d filled her up. That reminded him of something very important. As May got up from the chair, he picked up the half-empty bottle from the desk. Sure enough, it contained very powerful birth control pills. “If you don’t me asking, why do you have these?”

“The pills? They’re so I can have safe sex,” May answered as she headed to the bathroom. There was a click as she turned the light on, and then the sound of running water ensued. “Given how lax our laws are, lots of girls have them.”

“That’s good to know.” Seth replaced the bottle, feeling reassured. Due to his upbringing in Johto, he felt a sense of shame, as if he’d done something wrong. Yet, behind that feeling, he felt a naughty thrill at the thought of what he’d just done. Additionally, he felt a strange sense of physical contentment. “Do you think your mother heard us?”

“She wouldn’t care if she did. I’m a grown girl,” May answered. She gave a chuckle. “She did say not to get too crazy, but that was more directed towards me rather than you. I can be insatiable.”

When May returned from the bathroom, Seth took his turn in there, as he needed to clean off the assorted fluids from his crotch. It only took him a few minutes. By the time he returned, May was sitting back on the bed with a controller in her hand, dressed back in her underwear. The TV was back on, and the main menu of Pokémon Super Contest was displayed upon its screen.

May looked up as he entered. She smiled and patted the bed beside her, the second controller already waiting. “Come on, let’s play some more before bed. I want to try playing as Shroomish for giggles,” she offered. Seth didn’t know what a Shroomish was, but he guessed he’d find out. When he grabbed the controller, she gave him a pointed stare. “No more playing as Pikachu. Pick someone else this time, you Champion Red fanboy.”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking Red!” Seth protested, but he was grinning now. He plopped down on the bed beside her, and together the two of them started to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! If you're reading this, you've made it through the whole chapter! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this.
> 
> I'll let you all know that this isn't going to be a realistic story. That's not to say that I won't do my best, but it's pure wish fulfillment. My goal in writing this was for cute little Seth to go out on a journey like in the game, but have lots of sex and explosive battles along the way. (I'm a sucker for shy boys...as well as stupid anime explosions) By unrealistic, I mean that at some point, assuming you read that far, you should give up on trying to rationalize how he's managed to screw practically every major girl he's come across.
> 
> Thanks again for reading this, and please leave me some feedback so I know someone else is enjoying this besides myself! After all, degeneracy loves company! ...or was that misery? Details.


	2. Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Birch still hasn't returned, leaving Seth at a loss about what to do. On one of his walks, he's suddenly dragged into a situation in which he'll have a fateful encounter...

The alarm went off far too early for Seth's tastes. He felt as though he had only just closed his eyes before the clock was waking him back up. His blue eyes opened sleepily, and then opened fully when the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling greeted him. He was alarmed at first, but then he remembered he was no longer in Olivine. This was the first time he'd slept in his new room.

Seth climbed out of bed and strode over to the desk on the far wall. He turned off the alarm clock located there and then yawned. He took his time getting washed up and dressed; as far as he knew, there wasn't anything in particular that demanded his haste. Until he was enrolled in a school, that wasn't likely to change.

The room he would be staying in from now on was very similar to May's in size and layout. His bed was located in the back corner by a window, the desk was situated just across the room by the door, and there was a wide open space in the remaining corner where his own TV and gaming system were located. His collection of games, however, was not that extensive. Posters of locales that he'd gathered over the years, such as the Olivine cityscape, lined the walls, along with a few posters of the mysterious champion, Red, who reportedly went missing after he defeated the Team Rocket Crime Syndicate and took the title.

Seth ambled down the stairs and into the living room, dressed in a blue and white track suit. Caroline was already in the kitchen, the smell of frying bacon filling the air. She poked her head out when she heard Seth approach. She chuckled at Seth's tired expression.

"You should take a look in the mirror. You're a sight," Caroline teased him. She smirked when Seth only gave her a tired grunt. "I didn't think you'd stay out so late on your first night in town."

"I didn't either," Seth admitted. He joined her in the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of ice water to help wake himself up.

"You were with the Birches, right? I heard you hit it off with their daughter, May," Caroline questioned, the motherly curiosity evident in her voice. Seth did his best not to show any alarm or uncertainty at her words.

"You heard? From who?" Seth returned casually, the young man sitting down at the table. Caroline soon joined him, carrying plates of eggs and bacon.

"Her mother of course. I went over to visit after I got your text," Caroline answered. The two of them started to eat breakfast together like they always did. "I didn't bother you two because I heard you were playing games."

"Yeah, May told me she wants to be a Contest Star, so she had us play Pokémon Super Contest all night," Seth confirmed. "I discovered that I'm amazingly bad at it."

Caroline laughed at that. "I'd believe it. You don't play games that often. At least, not by yourself." She took a moment to wash down her food with a long draught of orange juice. "Still, I'm glad you made a friend so quickly. I was worried you wouldn't want to after leaving Jasmine behind."

"I miss Jasmine, yeah, but it would be lonely if I shut myself away because we moved," Seth pointed out. "Besides, I can't stay shut away even if I wanted to, because…"

"…you'd go stir crazy," Caroline finished, nodding in agreement. "I'm happy to hear you're settling in. It'll make it easier if you have friends before you start school."

"I don't think May would go to school. She's a trainer; don't those usually go to trainer school or not at all?" Seth inquired.

Caroline paused, and then she shrugged. "I guess I didn't think about that. That means she might leave town a lot. Which means you need to make more friends," she remarks. Seth shakes his head, knowing that she's right. "That reminds me; we should try the laboratory today. Ms. Li told me the professor should be back today."

"Sure, I need to stretch my legs anyway," Seth agreed, relieved that the conversation involving May had ended. Obviously he hadn't told her just how well acquainted he'd become with May, and he intended to keep that secret. "Let me clean these dishes, and we'll go."

"Sounds like a plan. Let me get dressed and then I'll meet you outside," Caroline agreed, and then the two of them split to handle their morning chores.

* * *

"He's still not back yet?" Caroline addressed the scientist, Ms. Li, on the front steps of the laboratory. Seth stood just behind his mother, his hands in his pockets. "What exactly is he doing?"

"I'm sorry. This probably seems terribly rude of him," Ms. Li apologized with a bow of her head. "I assure you, I don't believe he's making you wait intentionally; it's more likely that he got caught up in his fieldwork and lost track of time."

"No wonder he's such good friends with Norman. He does the same thing whenever he's out with his Pokémon," Caroline deadpanned, much to Ms. Li's amusement. "I'm sorry to have bothered you then, Ms. Li."

"It's no bother. And please, call me Reiko," the scientist assured Caroline. "I don't think he should be too much longer. You're more than welcome to come inside and wait for him."

"You're sure that's alright?" Caroline pressed. When Reiko nodded, the two of them accompanied her inside, where Seth was able to get his first look at the interior.

The majority of the laboratory's first floor was a wide open room. At the front of the room was a small sitting area crammed between the shelves on either wall. It was separated from the rest of the room by a thin plaster wall that only rose a meter and a half off the floor. Beyond that wall, Seth could see an array of complicated machinery, packed bookshelves that towered to the ceiling, and an array of computers and poké balls.

"Please, take a seat. I'll make some more tea while you wait," Reiko offered. Caroline obligingly sat down in one of the plush woolen chairs, but Seth remained standing. "Seth, was it? How do you like your tea?"

"None for me, thank you. If it ends up being too long, I'll likely go for a walk," Seth answered politely. Reiko nodded and moved off behind the wall, no doubt heading for a kitchen.

"Already? We just got here," Caroline responded to Seth's words. "Can't you sit still for at least short while?"

"I would, but we have no idea how long we'll be waiting. I don't want to be rude, but the idea of sitting around doing nothing for what could be hours doesn't sound like my idea of a good time," Seth explained with an apologetic shrug. "Besides, you can just call me when he arrives."

"I suppose you're right, but I don't want them to think you're rude. At least hang around for thirty minutes before you go," Caroline bargained. Seth paused, and then sighed.

"I suppose that's reasonable." Seth sat down beside his mother and made himself comfortable. Caroline gave him an appreciative smile, and then the two of them settled in to wait.

Reiko soon returned with tea for two, and she joined them at the table. She and Caroline began to make small talk, which then turned into a discussion about the differences between Hoenn and Johto. As for Seth, he withdrew his phone, noting that he had several messages from Jasmine.

He smiled and returned her messages. She was worried about whether or not he'd arrived in Hoenn safely, and whether or not he liked it there. It was nice to know that he could still talk to her, even if he wasn't going to see her often anymore.

Eventually the thirty minutes ran out, and Seth stood up from the table. "I'm headed out. Give me a call if the professor shows up," he announced.

"Alright. Be careful, and don't go too far!" Caroline called after him just as he exited the laboratory. He acknowledged her, and then he left the lab behind.

First, Seth performed a series of stretches for his leg muscles, which were the most developed part of him. He walked so often and for so long that his legs tended to get sore if he didn't take care of them. Once he finished, he bounced on the balls of his feet briefly, and then he started on his walk. He'd already explored the town, but hadn't memorized it, so he retraced his steps from the previous day. Seth took in the scenery and breathed deeply, enjoying the smell of the air.

As he neared the route that led north out of town, he noticed a young girl wearing a one piece dress standing by a tree. She couldn't have been more than nine years old. Seth was about to greet her when he noticed that she was staring north down the path with a confused expression.

"Hey," Seth called out to her softly, getting her attention. "What's the matter?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" the girl responded promptly. She pointed a finger towards the path ahead. "I heard somebody yelling up there a minute ago, but now it's all quiet."

"Yelling? What were they yelling about?" Seth's curiosity was piqued now.

The girl shrugged. "I dunno. It sounded like the guy was in trouble," she hypothesized. Seth's lips parted in dismay as he connected the dots. "Probably ran into wild Pokémon."

"What? You mean he was screaming and you didn't get help?" Seth demanded incredulously. The girl recoiled at his tone, murmuring an apology. Seth sighed. "I'm sorry too. Then how about you go and do that now? Go let some adults know, and I'll go and see what I can do."

"You? But what about the wild Pokémon?" The girl questioned in surprise. "Will you be okay?"

"Who knows? But somebody clearly needs help out there, and if anything, I'm a fast runner," Seth reasoned, even as he questioned his own sanity for doing this. Pokémon could be very dangerous to an unprepared traveler, and he was no exception. "I'll be fine if you send help fast enough."

"Okay! Don't get hurt!" the girl warns him, and then she turns about and runs towards the center of town, leaving Seth by himself.

"Let's hope not," Seth mutters to himself. He looked down the path and gulped. As much as the thought of exploring the wilderness appealed to him. He knew that what he was doing was very dangerous.

He steeled himself and broke into a jog. He made sure to avoid anywhere that he couldn't see fully, such as the patches of tall grass or copses of trees. This was his attempt to avoid Pokémon, but such a thing was easier said than done. He felt as though the bird Pokémon in the trees were taking an interest in him, even though he couldn't see them.

Seth could see the path winding around dense thickets and the sides of cliffs, steadily making its way uphill. What worried him was how many places there were for a wild Pokémon to hide. He was beginning to think he should return to the town and wait for help.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he discovered a disturbance in the path ahead. The grass was torn up and the dirt was churned, indicating that a struggle occurred here sometime in the recent past. Seth moved forward to investigate the area, keeping his eyes peeled for danger.

Seth nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a strange beeping sound from the tall grass nearby. It continued to beep, sounding off once every second. Seth cautiously followed the sound, parting the tall grass with his hands until he located its source.

The beeping came from a brown leather messenger bag that rested on the ground. Seth noted that the grass nearby was torn, suggesting it had been thrown or tossed here. He pulled the bag out into the open so he could get a better look. As he opened it up, the beeping stopped, yet it wasn't difficult for him to determine what caused it.

Seth took out the phone from an interior pocket and checked the screen. Sure enough, the screen was on and showed that the owner had a missed call. What surprised him is that the caller ID listed the caller as Reiko Li, from the laboratory. Alarmed, Seth checked the bag for any sign of identification. On the front of the bag, there was a small golden plaque that labeled the owner as Professor Adam Birch.

Seth cursed under his breath. That explained why the professor hadn't shown up on time. As many questions as this raised, Seth decided it would be best to call his mother and let her know what was happening. He picked up the bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder, intending to take it back to town with him.

However, he felt something round digging into his side from within. Curious, Seth unlatched the bag and discovered three round poké balls inside a zipper-sealed pocket. Just like that, his plans changed. They weren't his Pokémon, but if they belonged to the professor, they likely wouldn't object to someone trying to find him.

Seth clasped one of the poké balls and pulled it out. He'd seen them used enough to know how to open one. He pressed the button on the front of the ball, causing it to open with the distinctive click and whooshing sound as the Pokémon inside shot out in a flash of bright light.

When the Pokémon fully coalesced, it looked around for its trainer, only to see Seth. It blinked, and appeared about as confused as he expected. Seth was almost as confused himself, as he had no idea what kind of Pokémon at which he was looking.

The Pokémon was a small white humanoid shape, rising only a little above a foot off the ground. Its arms were thin and possessed no fingers, and its legs widened at the base. A wispy extension trailing away from the backs of its legs create the impression that it was wearing a robe or a nightgown. As for its head, it was spherical in shape. Most of its face was covered by pale green hair that hung down its head in the shape of a bowl, but Seth could see a small mouth that was currently open in the shape of an "o." To complete its strange appearance, it possessed two flat red horns – a smaller one on the back of its head and the larger one on the front.

Seth knelt down before it, doing his best not to appear as a threat. "Hey," he said to it softly. The Pokémon tilted its head in response. He wasn't sure how intelligent it was, but it did seem to be responding to his voice. "My name is Seth. I'm not a trainer; just your typical townsfolk. The professor is your trainer, right?"

The Pokémon was quiet for a few seconds, and then it nodded slowly. Seth sighed with relief; it could understand him after all. Right now, it seemed to be appraising him through its pinkish eyes that were mostly obscured by its hair.

"He's gone missing. All I could find was the bag with you in it. I think he may be in trouble. But I don't have any Pokémon to protect me, so…would you want to help me find him?" Seth asked it hopefully. The Pokémon watched him in silence for a few moments, and Seth had the strangest feeling that it was reading him. Then, it put on a small smile, and nodded again. Seth gave a relieved laugh. "Thank you so much. I know this was presumptuous of me."

Thus encouraged, Seth closed the bag and continued forward, confidence flowing through him due to the presence of the Pokémon beside him. He didn't know how strong it was, but if the professor had it with him, he must have trusted its capabilities. Seth only wished that he knew what the Pokémon was called.

The Pokémon looked around the forest with interest, as did Seth. The wilderness around him was fascinating, and it was a new experience to explore without being alone. He wished that it were under better circumstances, so he could properly enjoy the experience.

Suddenly, Seth became aware of something growling nearby. He immediately became alert, as did the Pokémon beside him. "Did you hear that?" Seth questioned in a low voice. The Pokémon responded with an equally low noise that sounded like a breathy higher-pitched purr. It pointed towards a thicket of trees on the edges of the path about twenty meters away.

Following its limb, Seth spotted another Pokémon growling and barking up one of the trees. The Pokémon was vaguely canine shaped, but its fur was rough and spiked in a zigzag pattern. However, Seth took note of the creature's intended prey and parted his lips in surprise.

Clinging to the trunk of the tree with his foot in a crook between two branches was a very beleaguered man who looked to be in his early forties. He was a somewhat chubby man with short, scruffy, and brown hair, complete with sideburns that stretched beneath his jaw and joined together in a goatee. He was wearing a white lab coat that was torn in a few place, and a set of khaki cargo pants.

"Professor? Is that you?" Seth called up to him. The man reacted immediately, his eyes widening upon seeing Seth.

"What? Who are you? Is that my bag? Is that my Ralts!?" the man responded with what seemed to be an honestly surprised tone, rather than an accusatory one. Before Seth could explain himself, he shook his head. "Augh, never mind! Help me! This Zigzagoon will eventually get smart and learn how to climb, and I'd really like to not be here when that happens!"

"Help you? You mean…" Seth gulped when he realized what that meant. The only way to do that was by driving away that Zigzagoon. That meant that whether he liked it or not, he was faced with his first Pokémon battle…a prospect with which he'd never been thrilled.

Seth felt a tap on his shin. He looked down to see the Ralts look up at him with its pink eyes, which strangely reassured him. "Can you do it?" Seth asked reluctantly. He was loathe to put this small thing into danger. The Ralts gave a slow nod. Seth sighed. "Alright. I'll trust you. Let's get your trainer back."

He picked up a rock from the ground nearby and hurled it at the Zigzagoon. The canine yelped in pain as it was struck on the rear, and then it turned its attention towards Seth and the Ralts. When it saw the two of them, it growled and broke into a run, likely seeing them as easier prey. Seth watched its movements closely, noting how it moved in an erratic zig zag pattern.

"It's trying to confuse you! It'll attack from your left!" Seth warned the Ralts, just as the Zigzagoon reached it. The Ralts reacted to Seth's words and found them accurate, turning just in time. The Ralts's body lit up with a pale violet glow, and the Zigzagoon stopped completely in its tracks. The Ralts made a cry of exertion, and then the foe spun in midair and was repelled backwards, where it collided with the cliff-face roughly. Seth exhaled sharply. "You're a psychic type!"

The Zigzagoon wasn't finished, and it ran right into another charge. Like before, Seth's eyes followed its movements and accurately predicted its angle of attack. With his discerning eye and Ralts's ample telekinetic ability, the Zigzagoon consistently took punishment without ever landing a hit. Eventually, the foe understood that anything it hoped to gain wouldn't be worth the damage it took doing so. Thus, it made its escape by kicking up a cloud of dust and sprinting away.

"That was great, Ralts! Thanks for the help," Seth praised the Pokémon with a smile. He held out his hand as if to touch it, but he did so slowly. It watched him closely, but didn't stop him, so Seth stroked the top of its head affectionately. Its hair felt as soft as silk. He noticed with some amusement that it appeared to be blushing. "You're really strong."

Once the professor realized that he was saved, he exhaled with relief, and then he slid down from the tree and approached me. "Whew, you saved me!" he expressed gratefully. Seth got to his feet and faced the professor. "I can't even tell you how glad I am to see you."

"It was no problem. It was lucky I found your bag before I found you," Seth returned, smiling now that he'd accomplished what he set out to do. He grabbed the bag and passed it back to the professor, whose name was Adam if he remembered correctly.

"No kidding. I can't believe I let myself get separated from it. You see, I saw a rare chance to observe that Zigzagoon in its natural habitat, and I just had to pursue it. Unfortunately, the wind shifted, and that Pokémon has a remarkably good sense of smell," Adam explained as he accepted the bag back gratefully. He glanced down at his Ralts, who was hiding behind Seth's leg. Adam chuckled at the sight. "Aww, look at that. Seems like Ralts is somewhat attached to you."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used your Pokémon without asking you first," Seth apologized immediately. Despite that, Adam didn't seem upset at all.

"Don't worry about it." Adam replied while fishing through his bag. He withdrew a poké ball from within, and then he knelt down to look at Ralts. "Hey, little guy. I know you don't like it, but I've got to call you back in now. We'll talk later, okay?"

The Ralts appeared less than enthused about going into the poké ball, but Adam's cajoling made it relent, allowing the professor to hit it with the recall beam from the device. Adam got back to his feet and gave Seth a smile.

"Well, then, shall we get back to town? No doubt Reiko is going to give me an earful." He gestured back towards the path. Seth nodded, and the two of them started to walk back to town. "By the way…not that I'm complaining, but what made you decide to use my Ralts? What about your own Pokémon?"

"It was either use one of yours or wait for backup." Seth admitted. Adam blinked, taken off guard by that answer. "I'm no trainer, so I don't have any Pokémon."

"Really? That's…unexpected. You handled that Zigzagoon in a superb display of battling skill. I can't believe you managed to follow its movements so easily," Adam pointed out. Seth gave an awkward chuckle and scratched at his neck, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise. "You can see why I thought you were a trainer."

"I suppose so, but I've never been a fan of battling. I prefer to explore, often on my own," Seth confessed.

"Explore? You wouldn't happen to be…" Adam started to deduce, but then he realized something and slapped his palm against his forehead. "D'oh! Where are my manners? I'm Adam Birch, the Pokémon professor in this region. Thank you for saving me, Mr.…?"

"Seth. Seth Rhines," Seth introduced himself, accepting the hand that Adam offered. "You may know my…"

"Norman's son! I thought so!" Adam appeared much livelier all of a sudden, an excited grin crossing his face. "The last time we met, you were barely above your father's knee! Look at you, all grown up!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember that at all," Seth admitted. However, Adam's spirits didn't seem to be dampened by that.

"Of course you don't, you were small. But I've heard a lot about you since then. It's great to see you in Hoenn!" Adam gushed excitedly. "That also explains how you handled that Zigzagoon so easily! You're a natural, like your father!"

Seth was becoming more and more uncomfortable as the professor went on. Thankfully, he was soon rescued by the sound of someone sprinting up the path. To their surprise, May turned the corner, the girl appearing focused and determined. Behind her was Crux, the Duskull drifting from shadow to shadow as he kept up with his trainer. When she spotted the two of them, she skidded to a halt, a look of relief crossing her face.

"Seth! Dad! You're both okay!" May exclaimed. She rested her hands on her knees for a brief moment to catch her breath.

This also marked the first time Seth had ever seen her wearing something more than her underwear. She wore a tightfitting crimson shirt, accompanied by a pair of midnight blue shorts. To top it all off, a red and white bandana was tied around her head.

"May? What are you doing out here?" Adam questioned, though he did appear happy to see her. "How did you know I was in trouble?"

"Little Annie came running to my house, saying that Seth went out into the wild to help someone, so I came as fast as I could," May explained. A vein twitched in her head, and then she stormed up to Seth and pulled on his ear hard, causing him to yelp. "What the heck were you thinking, coming out here without a Pokémon?! It's dangerous!"

"I knew that. It's not like I came out here without thinking...yowch, let go!" Seth struggled against May's grip, but that only made the pain worse. "Besides, I saved him, didn't I?"

"Maybe because you were lucky!" May retorted. "What if you had been jumped the moment you left town?"

"Now now, that's enough. It's over now," Adam interjected, getting between the two of them. "Seth did the best he could with what he had, and I admire that. Besides, you should see how well he battled!"

"To be fair, that was mostly Ralts," Seth tried to explain, but to his dismay, May's interest had already been caught.

"What? Seth battled? No way!" May repeated. "This I have to hear. What happened?"

"Let's get back to town, and I'll tell you all about it…!"

* * *

"Alright, this is as far as I go," May said when the group reached town once more. When Seth and Adam turned to look at her, she bounced a poké ball in one hand. "I'm headed out. I'm thinking of checking out the Pokémon a little ways past Odale Town."

"That's Route 103, isn't it?" Adam recalled. When May confirmed that, he gave her a smile. "Alright. You're experienced, so I don't have to worry about you. When will you be home?"

"When I feel like it. Give me a call if something happens," May responded vaguely. During the walk back to town, May had insisted on inputting her number into Seth's phone. He flinched when she suddenly gave him a pointed stare. "Seth, don't let me hear about you doing something stupid like this again, got it?"

"Yeah, I get it," Seth grumbled bitterly. He rubbed his ear, which was still bright red from May's earlier treatment. Thus satisfied, May adopted cheery smile and waved to the both of them, and then she headed back into the wilderness. "Your daughter is…an interesting girl."

Adam let out a laugh from the belly. "She's a real firecracker! It's never boring when she's involved!" he agreed, slapping Seth on the back. "Seems like you two are already friends!"

"More or less. We met yesterday, when I was exploring the town," Seth revealed.

"Good, good. You two should get along just fine." Adam took the lead, striding through town with unusual energy for one of his age. "Now then, would you like to come to the lab? I'd like to introduce you to my assistant."

"Reiko? We've already met. In fact, my mother should still be there. We've been waiting for you to arrive," Seth disclosed. Adam blinked, and then he gave a groan.

"Oh dear, it seems I've been very rude. In that case, I should probably apologize," he decided, and then he quickened his pace. It didn't take the two of them very long to return to the lab.

Caroline and Reiko looked up from their conversation when Seth and Adam arrived. When they recognized Adam, they both rose from their seats. "Professor Birch!" Reiko exclaimed. "Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for over an hour now!"

"There was a bit of a hold up. It's all fine now. In fact, it's more than fine, as it allowed me to see your delightful son again, Caroline. It's good to see you, by the way." Adam stepped forward, and then he and Caroline embraced briefly. "I trust your move wasn't too trying?"

"No more than you'd expect," Caroline answered. She looked to Seth next. "Where did you find him, Seth?"

"Uh…there was…" Seth stammered, unsure where to begin.

"We met up just inside of town. Seth hasn't changed; he's always wandering around!" Adam interjected before Seth could finish. Seth gave him a surprised glance; that was clearly not the truth. In response, he received a discreet wink.

"That's so true!" Caroline laughed. At a gesture from Adam, the group sat down around the table in the sitting area once more. "I hope he didn't cause you any trouble."

"Perish the thought! No, we had quite the delightful chat," Adam responded. "Now then, how has your family been doing over the years?"

With that, the professor and Caroline began to reminisce about the past, discussing the years when they were all growing up together. Seth tuned out most of it, as the conversation had little to do with him. Despite that, he did find it interesting to hear about his father talked about in a context that didn't involve Pokémon.

Just as Seth was starting to get restless, Adam slung his bag onto the table with a dull clatter. "Now then, there's one more thing I want to cover before we have dinner. I have…gifts for the two of you," he revealed. Seth blinked, momentarily distracted from his need to move.

"Gifts?" Caroline questioned.

"The _two_ of us?" Seth added.

"But of course! It's to…commemorate your moving here to our wonderful town!" Adam answered enthusiastically. Seth thought he sounded shifty, so he raised an eyebrow. Adam retrieved an envelope out of the bag and presented it to Caroline. "For you, a gift card for the shop in town. That should help cover the costs of anything that might come up during the acclimation process."

"That's very generous of you. Are you sure that's okay?" Caroline accepted the envelope, though she looked concerned.

"Of course! Look at my lab; I have everything I need right here." Adam waved away her concerns with his jolly attitude. "Besides, anything to help my best friends."

"Thank you so much, Adam. You're just as sweet as always," Caroline complimented him with a dip of her head. "You said you had something for Seth, too?"

"Ah yes…this is a big one. Do you mind if I steal him away a moment?" Adam replied cryptically. Everyone in the room looked at him with confusion and mild suspicion. "What? There's just something I'd rather talk to him in private about first."

"I suppose. I trust you won't fill his head with nonsense," Caroline relents with a hesitant smile.

"No promises! Now then, shall we go, Seth?" Adam offered. Seth was still confused, but he decided not to worry about it. He stood up from the table, happy at the chance to stretch his legs. "Excellent! Won't be but a moment."

"I'll go ahead and set the table for dinner, then," Reiko decides, rising as well.

"What's so important you couldn't tell me out there?" Seth asked curiously as he followed the professor down a side hallway.

"I'll tell you in just one moment. Let me get changed out of these clothes," Adam told him once they'd reached his personal office. "Wait here."

Seth sighed, but did as he was told, waiting for the professor to let him in. It took nearly ten minutes, but eventually Adam let him in, wearing a set of casual clothes. Adam waited until he shut the door before continuing.

"Sorry about the secrecy; I was hoping to surprise you," Adam explained. "That, and I didn't want to worry your mother overmuch with what happened outside of town."

"Yeah, I noticed you didn't tell her about it. Thanks for that, by the way. It would have been a pain to deal with a second scolding," Seth said gratefully. "I guess it saved you the trouble of explaining to Reiko as well."

Adam winced, the man momentarily resembling a small child that just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Reiko is really scary when she wants to be," the professor admitted. Seth couldn't help but laugh at that. "But enough about that. I brought you here because I wanted you to have something in return for saving me."

"You really don't have to…" Seth began, but Adam wasn't listening. He withdrew something from his bag, and then he grabbed Seth's hand, gently pressing something into it. Seth blinked, feeling a smooth and spherical object in his hand. When he looked at it, a poké ball sat innocently atop his palm. His eye shot wide when he realized it wasn't empty. "Professor, this is…!"

Adam beamed at the look of shock on Seth's face. "That's right! It's the Ralts you battled with yesterday. I want you to have it," he confirmed. "It did seem to like you, after all."

"I can't accept this. It's not like you're giving me a gift card or something; this is a living, breathing Pokémon," Seth immediately said. "Plus, it's your Pokémon. How would it react its trainer giving it away after all this time?"

"You remind me so much of Norman." Adam chuckled softly. "Let me correct you. This Ralts hasn't been in my possession for very long. In fact, I caught it just this morning, on my way home from Petalburg. I don't believe it's that attached to me."

"Then why did it work with me to save you?" Seth pointed out. Adam gave a knowing smile, as though he knew something Seth didn't.

"Allow me to explain. Ralts is referred to as the 'feeling Pokémon.' It has the ability to sense and feel the emotions of those around it, including yours. It likely sensed your pure intentions and grew to like you based off of that," Adam revealed, sounding as though he were speaking from a wealth of knowledge. Seth was about to protest some more, but Adam wasn't finished. "Additionally, it's not as if I'm doing this without its consent. I spoke to it first, just before I let you in."

"You did?"

"Of course. It's a very intelligent Pokémon. I wouldn't give it away without talking to it first," Adam reassured Seth, patting him on the shoulder. "Trust me. It wants to be with you, Seth."

Seth's will to give back the poké ball melted in the face of the professor's sincere words. He clutched the poké ball tightly and held it to his chest. He was silent for nearly a minute.

"This would be my first Pokémon," Seth said softly. He looked at Adam to see him smiling back. "I don't know how to train or take care of them. I don't care for battling with them either. Are you sure this is okay?"

"Seth, everybody has their own way of training their Pokémon. I could pick any two trainers, and they would likely have different opinions on how to raise them properly," Adam explained. "However, I can tell you one thing for certain. Love and care for your Pokémon, and they'll love and care for you."

"It's that simple?" Seth questioned in disbelief.

"It's that simple," Adam confirmed, clapping him on the shoulder. He suddenly looked very grave, alarming Seth. "More importantly, how in the world am I going to explain this to your mother?"

"Did…did you not think about that first?" Seth asked incredulously.

"Nope! I went with my gut!" Adam answered shamelessly with a bright smile. Seth pressed his palm against his face.

Naturally, when Seth returned to the sitting area with a poké ball in his hand, he received a shocked expression from his mother. "Is that a Pokémon!?" she exclaimed.

"That's right! I thought your son could help me in my studies by raising one that I caught recently," Adam lied with a straight face, sounding just as cheerful as ever. Seth found it scary how well he could do that. "Is that okay?"

"Seth, are you okay with that? You never really showed any interest in raising Pokémon," Caroline surprisingly asked Seth for his opinion, rather than giving her own. She gave the professor a pointed stare. "Adam didn't pressure you into this, did he?"

Seth had to admit that there was some pressure involved, but in the end, he had no real objections to taking the Ralts. It was a huge responsibility unlike any he'd ever had, but he couldn't help but remember walking through the forest with Ralts. At the time, they'd been doing something urgent, but now, Seth realized that it had felt nice to explore with a partner.

"No, it was my choice. With a Pokémon, I can explore without being limited to the town," Seth answered his mother. It wasn't a lie.

"Then, I'm happy for you," Caroline declared supportively. "In fact, I guarantee you that your father would be thrilled. He was always hoping that one day you'd get your own."

"It appears that today is that day!" Adam proclaims enthusiastically. He then started to look someone mischievous. "Actually…don't tell him. Imagine the look on his face if his son were to show up in Petalburg with a Pokémon!"

"He would probably squeal," Caroline giggled. She seemed to like that idea a lot.

"If my father is capable of 'squealing' then I think I should sell tickets," Seth remarked, causing Adam to roar with laughter.

"Great idea! You're quite the entrepreneur!" Adam joked. In the midst of the merriment, Reiko emerged from a side hallway with a platter piled with steaming food.

"Dinner's ready!" Reiko announced. She set everything down on the table, and then everyone began to eat together.

* * *

After a filling meal, Seth and Caroline made their farewells and prepared to head back home for the night. However, just as they left the building, Adam rushed out of the front door.

"Wait up! There's something I forgot to give you," Adam called out to Seth, who paused and looked at him curiously. The professor handed over a short booklet whose cover Seth couldn't see in the dim light. "This booklet contains some basic information on how to feed and take care of your Pokémon. It's not much, but it'll at least get you started."

"Oh, thank you. I forgot to even ask about their diet." Seth accepted the booklet gratefully, sliding it into the green bag he wore. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's everything," Adam finished. "Though, if I might suggest, you should visit my daughter. She'd be happy to help you out as a fellow trainer."

"Didn't she head to Odale?" Seth recalled.

"Indeed she did. I guess it would take a little _exploring_ ," Adam quipped, and then he retreated. "A good night to the both of you."

Seth deadpanned after him. "The sad thing is, I know he's right," he admitted, much to his mother's amusement.

"Well, what you do is up to you, of course," Caroline reminded him. "Though, this means you have to decide something. If you want to explore with your Pokémon, I need to know so I can cancel your enrollment in the school before it's too late."

Seth realized that exploring as far as he wanted had just become possible. With a Pokémon, there was nowhere he couldn't go, so becoming a trainer and leaving town was now a very real possibility. Yet at the same time, he knew that becoming a trainer meant forcing Pokémon into battle, for which he didn't care.

"That's a very heavy decision. I'll have to think about it," Seth conceded. Caroline nodded understandingly.

The two of them reached their front door and stepped inside. Caroline turned the lights on and stretched. "Okay, I'll let you go. It's been a big day for you, and I imagine you want to spend some time with your Pokémon," she said with a yawn. "I think I'll go to bed, myself."

"All right, mom. Good night." The two of them walked up the stairs together and then parted, each heading to a different side of the hallway. Seth's room was relatively far from hers, being on the opposite end of the hallway from him. Once he was inside, Seth looked at the poké ball with a thoughtful expression. "'My Pokémon', huh?"

He set the poké ball on his bed and started to get ready for bed. He stripped down and set his clothes in the laundry basket, and then he stepped into the shower to wash away all of the sweat and dust he'd gathered by being out in the wilderness that day.

Once he had finished, Seth put on a pair of boxers and climbed into bed. Then, he grabbed the poké ball and made as if to open it, but he hesitated, wondering if he could really handle this responsibility.

A full minute later, Seth took a breath and pressed the button on the front of the device, releasing the Ralts onto the bed beside him. It looked just like he remembered it, though this was the first time he had such a close look at it.

"Hey," Seth greeted it tentatively. The Ralts blinked a few times, and then, when it realized where it was, it made a soft hum. Their eyes met, and it frowned, as though it could sense Seth's nervousness. With a start, Seth remembered Adam's words; it most certainly could sense what he was feeling. "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous because I've never had a Pokémon before."

The Ralts appeared to understand, as its frown was replaced with a small smile. Then, much to Seth's surprise, it embraced his arm affectionately, emitting a happy sound. Seth was taken aback at first, and then he laughed and returned the creature's hug with a gentle one of his own. He was much larger than it, so he had to be careful.

When Seth released the Ralts, it cuddled up against his side. Seth stroked its head again like he had before, thinking to himself that the little thing was actually cute. Almost immediately after thinking that, the Ralts blushed again and smiled.

"Right, you can read my emotions. That's so not fair," Seth remarked, earning a happy hum from the Ralts. Just then, he realized something important. "I can't just call you Ralts. That's your species name, I believe. Did the professor ever give you a name?"

Ralts looked pensive for a moment, and then it shook its head. "Alright. Do you mind if I give you one?" Another shake of the head. Seth smiled and started to think of different names, but then he realized he didn't know the most important detail. He didn't know if this Ralts was a male or a female. "Hold on, I'm going to lay you down for a moment."

Seth waited for the nod before he picked the Ralts up and laid it on its back, the Pokémon making happy coos in the process. He looked over its body for some sort of identifying feature. It was harder than he expected, as nothing of the sort seemed readily apparent. With its permission, he ran a hand across its body, finding its skin to be soft and smooth.

At one point, Seth discovered a small thin slit in the Ralts skin, and in his cluelessness, his fingers ran over it. Two things happened at once. The Ralts let out a soft moan, its cheeks turning a bright red at his touch. He then realized that this Ralts was a female, and that he had just accidentally touched her entrance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I was just trying to figure out what gender you were!" Seth immediately withdrew his hand, his cheeks turning red as well in response to this incredibly awkward moment. The Ralts stood up and waddled closer to him, still blushing. "I'm really sorry, I should have just asked, now it's…"

Seth trailed off when the Ralts climbed atop of his chest and hugged him again, as if to say that she forgave him. She pressed her lips to his chest, giving him a gentle kiss. Seth calmed down, feeling her affectionate reassurances. Together the two of them snuggled together in the bed, giving Seth a feeling of companionship that he never realized he'd been missing.

However, it was only a few seconds before the Ralts tapped him on the nose. He gazed at her curiously, noticing that she was blushing deeper than before.

"Hm? What is it?" he asked. The Ralts was standing on his lap now, looking somewhat embarrassed, Just as he was about to try and reason what she wanted, he felt something wet stain his boxers. His eyes widened when he noticed the tiny trickle of clear liquid between her legs. It was almost unnoticeable in the dim light, and he likely wouldn't have noticed it at all if she hadn't parted her legs slightly. "Ralts, is that…are you…?"

The Ralts nodded her head shyly. Seth gave a disbelieving exhale. In his determination to determine what gender she was, he must have accidentally turned her on.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…" Seth started to repeat, but then to his shock, the Ralts pressed herself against his hand, some of her arousal getting on his fingers. "Ralts!? What are you…"

The Ralts made her intentions very clear when Seth felt his fingers slip between her legs, brushing against her slick and warm entrance. Seth gulped, having never imagined that this was the situation that he would find himself in he accepted her poké ball earlier.

"You want me to…but that's…you're a Pokémon!" Seth stammered, blushing as deeply as the Ralts was now. She didn't seem to care about his protests, instead rocking her little hips against his hand. "Ralts! Please…"

At Seth's voice, the Ralts stopped, and she gave a distressed cry, the Pokémon recognizing that she may have overstepped his boundaries. At her expression, a pang of regret shot through Seth. "Wait, don't be sad, I'm not upset. I'm just…shocked," Seth confessed. The Ralts paused again, looking up at Seth hopefully. Faced with an expression like that, Seth felt his resistance crumbling. He sighed, unable to believe that he was considering this.

"Are you sure you want this? I've never done this with a Pokémon before...heck, I'd never even done it with a human before yesterday. I don't think I'd be able to satisfy you," Seth asked softly. Ralts tilted her head, looking perplexed. She didn't seem to understand what was holding him back. Finally, Seth relented. "Okay, but will you be patient with me?"

The Ralts gave a pleased cry, and it nodded. It seemed so happy and innocent; it was difficult for Seth to believe that they were about to do something so naughty. However, there was one last thing Seth wanted to deal with.

"We probably shouldn't do anything before I give you a name," Seth decided. The Ralts nodded again, seeming to agree. "Let's see…I need a good name that describes you. You're calm, understanding, strong, and cute."

The Ralts smiled at the compliments, and remained quiet as Seth ran through several different names in his head before settling on one he liked. "Here's one. What if I called you…Kyra? It means 'strong woman.' Not very creative, but…"

The Ralts put on a bright smile, making a pleased purr in her throat. Seth beamed, recognizing that she liked the name. "Alright, Kyra. From now on, we'll be friends, okay?" he offered. Kyra brushed her head against his hand affectionately. As cute as this was, Seth now had to help Kyra with her other problem. He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Okay, let's do this. Can I get you to lay on your back?"

Kyra obediently laid down on his lap. Seth shifted into a sitting position, stroking her head with one hand while using the other to trace down her body. Kyra eagerly spread her legs for him, revealing a small pink slit amidst all the whiteness of her skin. It surprisingly didn't look all that different from May's. He reached for it hesitantly, and then rubbed around it with his fingers. Kyra squeaked and turned a bright red, her breath coming faster.

"Hey…you'll have to let me know if I'm doing something wrong. I was being honest before; I don't have a clue what I'm doing," Seth admitted. Kyra gave a breathless nod, pressing her hips up again his fingers. Seth chuckled at her eagerness. "Okay, I'm doing it."

He continued to massage around her entrance, using Kyra's squeaks and moans to determine whether he was doing something right. Every time he managed to elicit a moan from her, he made note of where he was touching, and applied further attention to it.

He eventually managed to find a spot near the top of Kyra's slit that made her squirm and cry softly. "Oh, am I doing okay?" Seth asked softly. He applied pressure to it, and he was rewarded by her gasps of pleasure.

After a few minutes of that, Kyra's body started to glow, and Seth felt a soft tingle around his fingers, and they began to move against his will, dipping into her slit. "That's right, you're a psychic type," Seth whispered. He realized she was trying to guide him, and he smiled gratefully. "Thank you. We can do this together."

Seth became increasingly aware of how hard he was getting, even though he wasn't doing anything to stimulate himself. Instead, he just felt warm and happy, seeing Kyra enjoy herself like this. He felt naughtier than ever, and for some reason, Seth found that this thrilled him.

Seth's fingers soon met a strange barrier just inside of her. Kyra made a small squeak, and then she guided Seth through it, breaking it and causing a trickle of blood to spill out. Seth saw it and gasped. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. Kyra nodded, the Ralts putting on a reassuring smile. He suddenly realized something. "You've never done this before either?"

Kyra nodded, blushing again. Seth assumed that she meant she was doing all of this on instinct, or perhaps she learned from some other source. Either way, Seth wanted to give her the best first experience that he could.

With Kyra's help, Seth continued to pleasure her with his fingers inside of her. She was small compared to him, so he couldn't get his fingers in all the way, but it was enough to drive Kyra wild. He soon managed to build up a rhythm, and before long, Kyra was squeaking and squirming in his lap, making it even harder for Seth to ignore his fully erect length that strained against his boxers.

At last, Kyra let out a long and sustained purr, and Seth felt a warm liquid splash onto his hand. "Did you cum?" Seth asked her softly. Kyra gave a shy nod, the Pokémon trembling and panting. A happy smile crossed her face. Seth withdrew her fingers, which were now all sticky with Kyra's juices. "I'm glad I could help."

Kyra managed to get up, and to Seth's surprise, she waddled up his chest until it was close enough to reach his face. Before he realized it, Kyra was kissing him. Her mouth was much smaller than his, so when he kissed her back, his lips enveloped hers. He did his best to ignore the small part of his mind that was screaming out that he was kissing a Pokémon, and that every part of this was considered wrong back where he came from.

Seth noted that Kyra had her own unique taste, as opposed to his experience with May. It was a pleasant experience. Kyra began to glow once more, and Seth suddenly felt his boxers gently tugging off. "Kyra? You don't have to do anything; I was happy just to help you," Seth attempted to assure her. Kyra beamed at that, but she was already turning around to look at Seth's freed erection. "Kyra…I don't think it'll…ah!"

Seth cut off when he felt Kyra's telekinetic grip close around his shaft. His breath quickened and his cheeks turned a soft red. He watched as the skin on his length started shifting on its own, as though an invisible hand was stroking it. As that was going on, Kyra grasped his shaft with her arms and brought the tip to her mouth.

"That's…nngh…Kyra," Seth moaned as the Ralts put him into her mouth. It felt warm and wet around him, and he couldn't help but squirm when her small tongue licked at the tip. She couldn't fit more than that into her mouth due to her size, but that sensation as well as her consistent psychic stroking was doing wonders for him.

Kyra kept this up for several minutes, gradually increasing her pace until Seth started to feel his climax approaching. This time he knew what it felt like. "Kyra…I'm…I'm getting close..." he warned her. Kyra gave an acknowledging hum, and then she stopped her ministrations all at once. Seth almost came right there, but he managed to restrain himself. "What's the matter?"

Kyra met Seth's eyes and she smiled, and then she turned around. She planted her soft white butt down on Seth's shaft, pinning it to his chest. Looking at it, her butt was so small that just his palm could encompass its entire surface. She started to rock back and forth, gently rubbing against his shaft and stimulating him further. Seth started to cry out as Kyra cleverly used her body to coax out his climax.

"Ahh…aaaah! Ky…!" Seth started to cry, but then he clamped a hand against his mouth, gagging himself. He didn't want anyone to hear, and if he was too loud, he'd have a very difficult time explaining this to his mother. Seth screwed his eyes shut as he came, breathing furiously through his nose as sticky white seed spurted from the tip of his length and splattered all over his chest. Seth was awash with pleasure for several seconds even after he was spent; it took him a short time to come down, his chest heaving. "Kyra…that…that was amazing."

Kyra appeared proud of herself. She snuggled up against his side as Seth started to clean himself up with a nearby paper towels that he usually used for late night nosebleeds. Now that they'd finished, the shame and naughty feeling hit him all at once. He was forced to face the fact that a Pokémon had just made him cum, something that would have disgusted him back in Johto. Yet, as he looked at Kyra's satisfied expression, his guilt slowly disappeared.

"Thank you, Kyra." Seth felt fatigue slowly taking over after that exertion. He shifted in the blankets and curled up with Kyra, allowing himself to drift away. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

The last things he heard before closing his eyes were Kyra's contented hums.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you had just as much with this chapter as the previous one! Thank you so much for reading through all of it!
> 
> This chapter ended up a lot longer than I intended, even though I covered so little actual content. The outline was just a short description of Seth meeting Professor Birch, saving him, getting his Ralts, and then proceeding to fool around with her. I blinked, and then there was over 9000 words! (meme not intended)
> 
> I have two things to mention. First, someone asked me in private where I'm getting these names (such as Adam Birch, Reiko Li, Norman Rhines), etc. Honestly, I'm making them up. I noted that these characters either didn't have family names or didn't have first names, and when I researched them, I determined that they really didn't have those names. So I chose ones for them that flowed with their existing names. Adam Birch seems to flow nicely enough, and so does Norman Rhines. I hope that isn't too immersion breaking.
> 
> Secondly, a huge thank you for everyone who's reviewed! I know I'm writing a sex story, and that people would rather come and go (pun totally intended) instead of reviewing, so I really appreciate the extra effort! I do my best to answer every one as soon as I can!


	3. Against May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth takes Professor Birch's advice and leaves his new hometown to search for May, not knowing that he was about to be plunged into the life of a trainer...

The light from the rising sun fell upon the sleeping Seth's face, causing him to murmur and return from unconsciousness. He felt remarkably well rested, such that it was easy to open his eyes and wake himself up. He felt a strange weight against his side, so he turned his head to see Kyra curled up in the crook of his arm, her soft breathing tickling his chest. Seth was nonplussed at first, but he quickly recalled that he had a Pokémon now; a Pokémon that he had been very intimate with the previous night. He blushed, remembering what they'd done together.

Seth cradled Kyra's head with one hand, gently shaking her until her eyes opened sleepily. She looked so cute that he couldn't help smiling. "Good morning, Kyra," he greeted her softly. The Ralts's eyes opened fully, and she mirrored his expression, emitting a sleepy hum. "It's going to be a busy day today, so I should start getting ready."

Kyra looked at him, perplexed, as Seth leapt out of the bed. He noticed her curiosity and decided to explain. "The professor suggested I should visit his daughter, May, in order to learn more about being a trainer," Seth recalled. Kyra nodded understandingly. "Except she's already left town, and is as far away as Odale. So, what do you think of you and I going on a trip to find her?"

Kyra's response was to hop down from the bed and make a happy hum. "I'll take that as a yes, then," Seth chuckled. Going silent, he focused on getting ready for the day ahead, starting by taking a shower. However, just as he was about to close the shower door, Kyra managed to slip inside. Seth looked at her with surprise. His first reaction was to blush and cover himself. Kyra tilted her head, and Seth realized what he was doing. Considering what the two of them had done, it wouldn't make sense for him to be too embarrassed about being naked. He exhaled, and forced himself to stop covering himself. "I guess we should both get clean, huh?"

Showers were a simple part of everyday life for Seth, and he usually viewed them as a way to wake up at best, and boring at worst. However, Kyra's presence meant that he was no longer showering in solitude. Thus, what followed was an enjoyable experience where Seth and Kyra took turns helping one another get clean.

"That's right, I don't know what you eat," Seth realized as he was putting on his clothes. Today, he decided to wear a pair of denim shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. However, if he was going to be traveling today, he decided to pack a bit more in his bag. "Perhaps I should visit the store before breakfast. I may have to buy a variety, as I can't just ask you what you like to eat."

After getting dressed, Seth started packing for the trip. He didn't know how long he would be out, so he decided to pack as though the trip would be a long one. He packed both his red biking outfit and his blue tracksuit, as well as a few more outfits. He also made sure to pack several filled water bottles. Food would also be an issue, but he could handle that when he went to buy food for Kyra.

As for the packing process, Kyra was rather helpful. Seth discovered that she was very smart, picking up on what he was trying to do after a short time and then using her telekinesis to help him pack. For example, when he placed a set of clothes into his bag, she levitated another inside. Her help greatly expedited the process; it seemed like only a few minutes had passed before he was descending the stairs into the living room for breakfast.

"Good morning, Seth! You're just in time; I'm just about to finish breakfast," Caroline called from the kitchen when she heard Seth's descending footsteps.

"Thanks. I'll be at the table." Seth slung has bag over the back of one of the chairs and sat down in it. As for Kyra, even when placed on one of the chairs, she wasn't tall enough to see over the table, so Seth lifted her up and set her on top. "Mom, you should come in and meet Kyra."

"Kyra? Oh, your Pokémon! I'd love to; just let me finish scrambling the eggs." Caroline sounded excited, a feeling that Seth shared. He was looking forward to sharing Kyra with her. Thankfully it didn't take much longer for breakfast to be finished. When Caroline walked out with the plates of food, she spotted Kyra instantly. "Oh wow, she's so small and cute!"

Caroline set the table, and then she made as if to reach for Kyra. Immediately, Kyra leapt down from the table into Seth's lap, avoiding her hands. Caroline paused, and then she laughed. "That's adorable! I guess I shouldn't expect her to trust me so quickly," she observed. "But she seems to trust you. That's really great!"

"Kyra and I had a bit of a heart to heart last night," Seth divulged, being intentionally vague. "It also helps that the Ralts species can read the emotions of others."

"They can? That's a rather handy ability. But then why couldn't she tell that I wasn't going to hurt her a second ago?" Caroline questioned curiously. Seth didn't have an answer, so he looked down at Kyra. The Ralts met his gaze, and then stuck out her tongue at Caroline, causing her to giggle. "Heh, what is that all about? Seth, your Pokémon is so silly."

"I guess she is. I really like her though," he said as he idly stroked the side of Kyra's head. "I'm planning to head to the store after this to find out what she likes to eat."

"Oh, then let me save you some money." Caroline produced a bowl that contained various berries of different shapes, sizes, and colors. "I went and bought some of these to help you out. I heard Pokémon love berries."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." Seth accepted the bowl and picked a round blue berry from it. When he presented it to Kyra, she looked it over appraisingly for a brief moment, and then she took a tentative bite from the rather large berry. Her eyes lit up and she made a happy hum. "I think she likes it. What kind of berry is this?"

"That's an oran berry. They're pretty common around here, so you can buy packs of them at the store for cheap," Caroline answered. She watched Kyra eat the rest of the berry from Seth's hands. "I just can't get over how cute she is!"

For the next few minutes, while Seth and Caroline ate, they experimented with the different berries to get a sense of what Kyra did and didn't like. Some berries Kyra devoured eagerly, while others she wouldn't even look at. With Caroline's help, Seth determined that Kyra liked dry and bitter berries.

"That's an interesting taste," Seth commented as Kyra finished up a rawst berry. "So should I just buy her a lot of berries?"

"You can, but wouldn't you get tired of eating the same thing every day?" Caroline reminded him. "There are plenty of treats for Pokémon for sale; now that you know what she likes, you can better find food for her."

"I guess you're right," Seth conceded. He glanced at Kyra, who appeared to have eaten her fill of berries. She hopped back into his lap immediately, causing him to chuckle and go back to gently stroking her hair. "I'll probably still need to head to the store. I'm leaving after breakfast."

"To go find May?" Caroline correctly guessed. When Seth nodded, she gave a smile and a sigh. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. I suppose I can't complain now that you have Kyra to look after you."

"It shouldn't take me that long. Odale Town is only about…" Seth paused and glanced over at the wall nearby, where a map of Hoenn was located. He squinted until he found where they were. "…a day away, isn't it?"

"That's right. It should just be a straight shot up the hills," Caroline confirmed. "I still want you to be careful."

"Of course." Seth finished up his meal, and the two of them cleaned up the table. After that, there was nothing else left to hold Seth back. With Kyra in tow, he headed for the front door. "I'm going to get moving while it's still early. I'll be back in a couple days."

"Okay. Take care, and call me if anything happens!" Caroline calls after him, and then Seth left her and his house behind.

"Right! First things first; getting food." Seth headed to the store, a smile finding its way onto his face. A swelling feeling of anticipation and excitement caused Seth to shudder. To the average person, a day of walking may seem utterly dull, but to Seth, this meant that he had a whole day to explore new areas and garner new experiences.

After a quick visit to the store to pick up food for himself and berries for Kyra, Seth struck out into the wild once more, retracing his steps from the day before. This time, however, Seth took his time to explore the area around him while still maintaining an overall northern direction. Seth constantly talked aloud to Kyra about the things he saw, finding her presence to be a welcome change to the solitude with which he was accustomed. Now he had someone with whom to share his feelings and discoveries. Occasionally a wild Pokémon, such as other Zigzagoon, would attack, but Kyra's presence meant that he had nothing to fear.

The route north was shrouded with trees, giving Seth constant shade as he headed ever uphill. Often, he was confronted with cliffs that barred his way forward, forcing him to cut through thickets in order to bypass them and continue forward.

By the time he reached Odale Town, the setting sun painted the world with various shades of red and violet. Seth strode into the town, his breathing somewhat uneven after a long day of exertion. He glanced around the unfamiliar townscape with interest. It was a thoroughly rural town, consisting of fields of green dotted with trees. To Seth, it appeared to be nothing more than a larger Littleroot Town, but he didn't mind. It would still prove enjoyable to explore.

Seth explored the town until he located a reasonably cheap hotel, whose location he made a note of in his mind. Afterwards, he decided to look for May. Remembering what she had said the last time he'd seen her, he headed north into the next route. At long last, he found her kneeling down in a field of grass.

"May!" Seth called out to her, quickening his pace in order to reach her. May looked up from what she was doing with surprise, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She noted the presence of Kyra behind him as well, her face showing mild surprise.

"Seth?" May straightened up and met Seth halfway her arms open wide. Before Seth could process that that meant, she hugged him, her arms sliding beneath his and clinging to his back. She then gave him kiss without warning. It was brief, but it was enough to render his mind instantly blank. "Did you follow me all the way out here?"

"Y-Yeah. Your father told me to find you and ask you for advice." Seth slapped his cheeks and managed to pull himself together. May's response was to raise an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm technically a trainer now."

"So I see! Is that the Ralts that you battled with yesterday?" May asked curiously, the girl squatting down to look at Kyra. For some reason, Kyra was looking at her with a simmering animosity. "Heh, it doesn't seem to like me very much."

"It's the same one, yes. Her name is Kyra," Seth introduced. He too noticed the look Kyra was giving May. "Maybe it's because she doesn't know you well enough yet?"

May shrugged, getting to her feet again. "Could be. Either way, congratulations on getting your first Pokémon! I didn't think you would after the talk we had when we first met."

"I wasn't intending to either, but your father talked me into it," Seth admitted.

"That sounds like him," May laughed.

"I don't regret it though." Seth picked Kyra up off of the ground and cradled her in his arms, earning happy cooing from her. "Exploring is a lot more fun with someone to talk to. Plus, she seems to really like me."

"No kidding. She looks like she's in heaven right now," May joked as she watched Seth and Kyra interact. "But anyway, you didn't come here to talk about your Pokémon. You wanted advice on what being a trainer is all about, right?"

May finally brought the conversation back to its starting point. Seth nodded in confirmation. "Well, then you know what I'm going to talk about next."

"Battling," Seth groaned. May then confirmed that, much to his annoyance. "I'm just not interested. It's not my idea of a good time to watch Kyra getting hurt."

Seth yelped when Kyra suddenly poked his chin roughly. He looked down at the Ralts in his arms to see that she was frowning at him. May noticed her expression as well and giggled.

"I think she's insulted," May remarked. "Don't underestimate your Pokémon. They're strong, and according to dad, you're not bad yourself. You may find that it would be the other trainers' Pokémon getting hurt."

"Still, I just don't like the idea of it," Seth returned stubbornly, even as he caressed Kyra apologetically. "Can't I just explore without having to worry?"

"I hate to break it to you, but if you're a trainer now. If another trainer finds you, you're going to get challenged, and it's bad etiquette if you turn them down," May points out. Seth shook his head. He knew that, but he was still going to do his best to avoid battling if he could. "More importantly, do you know how trainers earn a living?"

"I don't," Seth confessed. "I want to explore the region, but I was worrying about how to make money so I could afford to eat and sleep in towns."

"Well, the fastest way is to battle," May revealed. Seth groaned again. Everything kept coming back to Pokémon battles, no matter how hard he tried to resist it. "When two trainers battle, they make a wager beforehand. Nine times out of ten, that's a cash wager. The two trainers bet an equal amount of cash, and the winner takes all."

"It sounds like a good trainer could make a lot of money," Seth mused. "What else do people wager besides money?"

"It depends on the trainers, and how well they know one another," May explained. A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Tell you what; I'll show you. Let's have a battle."

"What!? Battle you!?" Seth exclaimed with dismay. "Are you serious? Why would I want to do that?"

May waggled a finger at him, clicking her tongue. "Now now, remember what I said? You shouldn't turn down a challenge once you've received one." May detached her only poké ball from her belt, bouncing it in her hand. "Besides, you need to learn what a real Pokémon battle is like. Wouldn't you rather it be with me instead of a random stranger?"

"I mean, I suppose so, but I really don't want to," Seth grumbled. He felt Kyra squirm in his arms, so he put her down in front of him. To his surprise, Kyra seemed eager, judging from how she was looking at May expectantly. "Besides, what would we even wager? I don't think I have enough money for a real cash wager."

"Sure you do. But I wasn't planning on wagering money anyway. That's boring, and we're closer than that," May responded with a shrug. "For us…how about this; whoever wins has to please the other sexually, without getting anything in return."

"Wha...?" Seth quickly turned a shade of red at that suggestion. His mind flashed back to the steamy night he'd had with her back when they'd first met. "You mean…that night wasn't a one-time-only thing?"

May looked at Seth as though he were stupid. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't have bothered teaching you how to please me if all I was looking for was a quick fix," she pointed out. Seth paused, realizing that she had a point. His blush deepened, and he did his best to hide behind his hair, much to May's amusement. "Don't worry, even if you lose, I'll teach you a new trick in the process."

"Fine, I guess. But I don't intend to lose," Seth determined, figuring that there was no way out of this. He looked over at Kyra. "I'm sorry; I don't like throwing you into battle."

Kyra's body glowed briefly, and she smiled back at Seth. She turned back towards the front just in time to see May release her Pokémon from its ball. From within the device came a wisp of darkness that formed into the shadowy shape of Crux, May's Duskull.

Seth and May stood several meters apart, leaving a wide open space between them. May stood with Crux, a confident grin stretched across her face, while Seth stood with Kyra, looking uncertain. He wasn't sure he could win against May, nor even how to begin.

The battle began without any warning. "Crux, take her down in an instant!" May directed, pointing her finger at Kyra.

Crux obeyed in silence, the ghost circling around Kyra, building up speed. Seth kept his eyes on it, knowing next to nothing about Duskull or their attacks. "Kyra, play defensive for now," he directed his Ralts. Against such an unknown, he thought that baiting out attacks would be the best strategy.

Once Crux had circled to Kyra's flank, his singular eye began to glow brightly. A thin beam of blackness outlined with a fuzzy red glow fired from his malevolent eye, aiming directly for where Kyra was standing. Seth's heart skipped a beat upon seeing such a strong attack, but he was relieved when Kyra blinked out of existence and reappeared a few feet away. The beam hit the ground and formed a puddle of inky blackness that lingered for a brief moment before evaporating into nothingness, leaving no trace behind.

"It can teleport already? Not bad," May observed, not looking disappointed in the slightest. "Crux, you know what to do. Overwhelm her!"

"Watch out!" Seth called out, just as Crux unleashed an all-out assault. The Duskull zipped through the air around Kyra like an angry hornet, firing more of those black beams at her whenever he saw an opening. Kyra did her best to avoid each one, teleporting just out of range every time.

Just after Crux zipped over her head, Kyra teleported backwards, turning around in the process. She directed waves of telekinetic force at the ghost, managing to snare him in her grasp just long enough to bring him to the ground forcefully.

"Yes! Now let him have it!" Seth found himself cheering. Kyra obliged and hurled a variety of debris towards Crux with her telekinesis, battering him with rocks, sticks, and clods of dirt.

"That's not good. Crux, pull back!" May directed in response. The Duskull exerted his power and broke free from Kyra's grip. He swiftly retreated from her onslaught and returned to a higher elevation. Kyra tried to grab him again, but Crux appeared to be just out of her range. "Attack from range! Don't get close, or you'll end up on the ground again!"

For a brief moment, Kyra forced Crux on the defense, telekinetically hurling whatever she could find up at him. Despite Crux being a ghost, it seemed he wasn't impervious to all physical attacks. The debris that did connect with him appeared to hurt.

Crux dipped into the shadows and disappeared from view. Kyra stopped her attack and conserved her energy. She looked around the field for any sign of her enemy.

Seth spotted Crux forming above the trees. The Duskull's eye was pulsating gently as it regarded Kyra. "Kyra, up above!" Seth alerted her. Just as Kyra looked up at Crux, the Duskull released another black beam down towards her. "Dodge!"

Like before, Kyra teleported a short distance away…only to be hit instantaneously by another beam, as though Crux had known exactly where she would appear.

"Kyra!" Seth cried out in dismay as Kyra tumbled to the ground, covered with scratches and burns after the attack. It appeared to be difficult for her to even move. "What's the matter?"

"Type advantages. I'm sure you've heard of them," May answered, taking out Crux's poké ball. From her stance, she seemed confident that she had already won. "Psychic types are weak to ghost types, like Crux."

Seth cursed softly and rushed forward to where Kyra lay. He lifted her off the ground, noting how only one hit had put her in this state. "This is why I don't like to battle!" Seth grumbled.

"Relax, I brought potions with me," May assured, approaching Seth and Kyra. She withdrew a small spray bottle from her bag and sprayed a silver film of liquid over Kyra. As Seth watched, Kyra's wounds were eased, and her strength returned. "Seriously though, you put up a good fight."

"Whatever…how was your Pokémon able to hit Kyra? It's like he knew exactly where she was going to teleport," Seth questioned as he put Kyra back down on the ground.

"It's because he did! Crux can see a few seconds into the future if he really focuses," May reveals. Seth scoffed incredulously, finding that to be rather unfair. "I can't believe you made me have to resort to that. You and Kyra are pretty tough."

"It wasn't enough, clearly," Seth lamented.

"Oh, don't be a sore loser," May teased, much to his annoyance. "I'm complimenting you. Besides, we'll have other chances to battle later. You can always get me back for it then."

"I suppose," Seth grumbled. He flushed a little, remembering the wager that they had made. "So…what happens now?"

"No need to rush," May said coyly, tapping Seth on the nose. "I wanted to comment on how well you and Kyra battled together. Honestly I'm impressed. You've only had her for a day, and she's already that attached to you."

"She's my first Pokémon. She's very special to me," Seth confessed. May nodded understandingly.

"I can see that. Have you had sex with her yet?" May asked with a straight face. Seth choked, her question taking him completely by surprise.

"W-What!?" Seth exclaimed.

"You heard me," May repeated with a knowing smile forming on her face. "So have you?"

"Uhhh…." Seth couldn't answer, his cheeks burning. Beside him, Kyra was slightly blushing herself. Seth wasn't a good liar, but he didn't want anyone to know about last night. May laughed merrily at his expression and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You did, didn't you? I'm proud; I didn't think you had it in you to make the first move," May teased him mercilessly. Seth looked at the ground, unable to meet May's eyes. He felt ashamed that she'd found him out so easily without even trying. May noticed their expressions. "Wait, you mean Kyra made the first move? You were seduced by a Pokémon!? That's priceless!"

"Would you stop it?" Seth demanded with a whine. "It's not that I…it's just that…"

"I'm teasing, Seth. You don't need to justify yourself to me," May assured him after she finished laughing. "It's not anything to be ashamed about. The bond between a trainer and his Pokémon can only get stronger through intimacy, after all."

Seth and Kyra looked at one another, and then looked away, both of them as red as beets. "Yeah well…what about you and Crux?" Seth blustered, hoping for something he could use against May.

"Yeah, of course! Crux is the sweetest lover, even if he doesn't show it," May responds, much to Seth's utter shock. She brushes her cheek up against the floating Crux lovingly. "So relax, you're in good company. I'm hardly innocent when it comes to loving my Pokémon."

"I don't even know what to say. I feel so…wrong," Seth admitted. That only seemed to amuse May.

"That's just your Johto upbringing talking. Bunch of stuffed up prudes if you ask me. They've no idea what they're missing." May turned and walked away from him, heading towards a nearby tree. She placed her back against it and unzipped her jacket, revealing the tight sleeveless shirt beneath. She laid it flat on the ground. "Now, I think it's time for you to pay up."

"R-Right here?!" Seth gasped. He looked around for any other people. There weren't any, but there was nothing to obscure them from view at all. "Out here in the open?!"

May grinned. "Sure, why not? The laws on public sex only apply to towns and cities. We can do whatever we want out in the wild," she pointed out. Seth blinked, unable to believe what he was hearing. Were the laws really so lax here that they could have sex right in the open like this? "Relax, it's late in the evening anyway. Nobody's going to see us. Now, come here."

Seth gulped and did as he was told, stepping closer to her. May watched him seductively. She hooked her thumbs into her shorts and panties, pulling them down and setting them on her jacket. It was now very easy for Seth to see her puffy pink lips, which were already looking slick. Before he could get any closer, however, Kyra made an angry hum, her mouth set into a firm frown.

May blinked, and realization dawned on her. "Oh wow! Seth, I think Kyra's jealous! That's soooo adorable!" she laughed. Seth looked at Kyra, who now stood between the two of them. "I think she wants you all to herself!"

Seth knelt down to look at Kyra. "Is that true, Kyra?" he asked her softly. Kyra answered by waddling forward and hugging his leg tightly. He couldn't help but smile at that. "I get that. I wouldn't want anyone else to touch you either. But I did make a bet. Can I make it up to you later?"

"I don't know, can I watch?" May called over teasingly. She immediately got a glare from Kyra. "I'll take that as a no. Spoilsport."

Kyra frowned at Seth's reasoning, but she seemed to understand. She let go of his leg and moved to stand over by the tree.

"May, what have you done to my life?" Seth lamented half-seriously as he approached May. "I just promised my Pokémon sex later so she wouldn't be too upset about you and I. What is happening?"

"Stop thinking so hard. You'll have a lot more fun that way," May joked as she wrapped her arms around Seth's neck to bring him in. "Now, I have something new I wanted to teach you. Go ahead and get down on your belly. I'll guide you through it."

Seth did as he was told, getting down in front of her. May sat down on the jacket with her back against the tree, and then she spread her legs, giving Seth a very close view of her slit. In fact, he was so close that he could smell her gentle musky scent.

"May, what am I...?" Seth asked in confusion. May smiled and brought him even closer, and then without warning, she applied pressure on the back of his head, forcing his nose and mouth directly into her entrance. He didn't realize what was happening at first, but when his mouth met with her slit, his tongue unwittingly traced along its surface. A strange taste filled his mouth. It was similar to the way it tasted when he kissed her, but down here it was stronger and more astringent, assaulting his senses with a mixture of sour, salty, and sweet flavors. "Mmmffff!"

May gave a little gasp at the contact, and she spread her legs wider to make it easier for Seth to fit between them. "That's it…just like that. Pretend you're kissing me, and use your tongue a lot. Be gentle…I don't want to feel your teeth," May advised him.

Seth stopped struggling when he realized what she wanted him to do, and he breathed in through his nose. He could see her looking down at him with an expectant smile, her cheeks flushed and her hands pressed against the back of his head. He tried to do as he was told and started to kiss and lick at her slit, causing her breath to quicken in the process.

It took Seth a while to get accustomed to the unique taste. At first it caused him to gag, but over time he found that it actually didn't taste as bad as he thought it did. His only complaint is that it was difficult to breathe.

With her fingers, May would occasionally direct him by applying pressure to his jaw or his chin, helping him find his way to her more sensitive areas. Seth couldn't help but feel that what he was doing was demeaning to him, but he also had to admit that he liked the small moans she made whenever he did something right.

"Mhm…now you've got it. Don't be afraid to...nnnh…get a little deeper," May directed him breathlessly, one hand resting on her heaving chest. Seth took her suggest and experimented with his tongue, seeing how deep he could push his way inside of her. He explored her thoroughly, using her resulting moans or lack thereof to determine where to give the most attention. May gave a little giggle. "You're a…fast learner…!"

Despite the compliment, Seth was very uncomfortable. Pleasuring May like this was turning him on, but his length had no room to expand outwards, as he was lying on his belly with his crotch firmly pressed against the ground. He wanted to do something to relieve the pressure, but not only would that be difficult, but the wager stated that he couldn't do anything for himself.

As May's pleasure heightened, her legs closed around Seth, and her hands pressed ever harder on the back of his head. Seth breathed with difficulty through his nose as he lapped at her folds. In time, her moans grew in intensity and frequency.

"Ah, Seth! It's…it's coming…I can't…I can't…!" May gasped, her head pressed against the tree, her cheeks aflame. Seth took a moment to take in a deep breath, and then he dived back in, closing his lips around her engorged clit and teasing it with his tongue. Almost immediately, May let out a cry, and a rush of feminine juices spurted forth, causing Seth to recoil in surprise. May shuddered and shook as she held onto him tightly. "Hnnaaah…! There…I think you got the hang of it."

At last, her legs loosened, and she allowed him to withdraw. Seth gulped down air greedily as he switched to a sitting position beside the still twitching May. His face was soaked, so he wiped it clean with his sleeve, resolving to wash his clothes later.

"That was…interesting. It was a little hard to breathe," Seth admitted, earning a chuckle from May.

"I'm sorry, but it just felt too darn good to let you breathe," she remarked. She looked over to him, spotting the very noticeable tent in Seth's pants. "Heh, look at you. Did eating me out arouse you that much?"

"Sh-Shut up," Seth stammered shyly, looking away from her. In the process, he locked eyes with Kyra, who latched onto his arm possessively now that they were finished. Kyra noted Seth's arousal as well, eyeing it quietly and forming an "o" shape with her mouth. "Are we done?"

"More or less. I'd return the favor, but since you lost, I don't have to," May said gleefully. Seth grumbled at her gloating, but said nothing further. "Come on, let me get dressed and we'll head back to town."

Seth nodded and got to his feet, dusting off any excess dirt from his clothes. "Okay. Staying the night in Odale would probably be a good idea. I can go back to Littleroot in the morning," he decided. "What about you? Are you done up here?"

"Yes and no. I'll go back with you tomorrow, but I have other plans after that," May told him as she slid her panties back on. At Seth's curious glance, she continued. "I'm thinking of taking on the Hoenn League Challenge."

"Really? You mean, you're going to take on the eight gyms?" Seth inquired with shock. "Why would you bother? I thought you wanted to be a contest star."

"I do, but there's no harm in trying, right?" May answered. She shrugged casually. "It's not like there's a rule saying I have to keep going if it gets too hard or too unrewarding."

"I suppose you're right. But do you really like battling that much?" Seth asked, feeling a little disappointed.

"It's fun to battle!" May protested, picking up on his feelings. "Even you got a little into it during our battle. It seems more to me like you just don't like seeing Pokémon get hurt."

"That's pretty much it exactly," Seth confessed. May's eyes softened, and she gave him a brief hug.

"I get that, but there's no real danger if you have potions on hand," May reminded him. That didn't make Seth feel much better, however. "Besides, you should think about how Kyra feels. It's not just about you anymore."

Seth realized she was right. He looked down at Kyra, who was still clinging to his leg. "Kyra, did you enjoy that battle?" Seth asked. Kyra paused, rubbing her chin with the tip of an arm. Eventually, she nodded, and then she shot the floating Crux a competitive stare. Seth exhaled in disbelief. "You really had fun?"

Kyra smiles reassuringly. No doubt she could feel exactly what Seth was at this moment. Realizing that, Seth sighed. "Okay. I guess I shouldn't be so stubborn about battling, if it means making Kyra happy."

"You should think about trying the League as well," May suggested. Seth's eyes widened at the thought of battling the gyms himself. He was just starting to protest when May cut him off. "Just think about it, that's all. You'd have an excuse to explore all over the region, and Kyra would get to battle to her heart's content."

"That's true, but didn't you say trainers were going to challenge me regardless?" Seth recalled.

"Yes, but knowing your skill, only gym trainers would really be a match for you," May explained. "You did well against me, and trainers around here are easy money for me."

"I'll think about it, I guess," Seth conceded. He still didn't like the idea of battling, but he was convinced that Kyra did. He glanced up at the sky, noting that the sun had completely fallen below the horizon. The stars were emerging little by little, spreading a spotted carpet of light across the velvety sky. "Shall we get back to town? It's starting to get late."

"Sounds good! I'm getting a bit tired myself!" May agreed, and then the two of them left the clearing behind.

The walk back to Odale took them only ten minutes. Once they arrived, May stated that she was staying with a friend of hers that lived in town rather than a hotel, so the two of them parted ways. Together with Kyra, Seth booked a room for the night at the hotel he'd discovered earlier.

Seth closed the door behind him with a sigh. The room wasn't anything fancy, consisting of little more than a bedroom and a bathroom, but it would suit his needs nicely. He briefly took a shower with Kyra, and then he climbed into bed.

He spent some time in a troubled silence, thinking. May was right when she said that there had been a moment during that battle where he had been enjoying himself. At the same time, when Kyra took a hit, he almost felt as though he was hurt as well. Seeing her hurt on the ground made him upset, and he doubted that was ever going to change.

Seth felt a pressure on his side. Kyra stood just beside him, her arms lightly resting on his chest. She looked at him with concern evident in her expression. Seth chuckled despite himself. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?" he observed. "Okay, I'll admit. The battle was interesting, but I don't like you getting hurt."

Kyra didn't respond, instead just resting her head on his chest. Despite the fact that he was still a little unsettled, her presence had a comforting effect on him. Seth reciprocated her affection by running his hand through her hair gently.

"I know I like the idea of exploring Hoenn. That much is a given. But getting the money for that requires getting a job…or being a halfway competent trainer," Seth reasoned aloud. "There's got to be some way to do this so that we're both happy."

Kyra tilted her head curiously as Seth pondered. After a few moments, she glowed, and she lifted something out of his bag. Seth blinked, realizing that he was looking at the region map.

"Kyra? Why are you showing me the map?" He questioned. Kyra put the map down and pointed at one particular city. Petalburg.

"Petalburg City? What's in Petalburg that has anything to do with this?" Seth stared at the map, and then it hit him. "You think I should talk to my dad?"

Kyra nodded. Seth tried to remember when Kyra heard about his father, but turned up nothing. He reasoned that she must have overheard a conversation about Norman from his mother or from the professor.

"Not a bad idea, but I know my dad. I feel like he'll just tell me to be a trainer," Seth remarked. When Kyra frowned, he relented. "Alright, I will. I'll call him tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do is spend time with you before bed."

Kyra lit up at that. She wasted no time in climbing into his lap and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Seth chuckled at her eagerness. "You certainly don't waste any time," he teased her, leaning his head down to rest against hers. Kyra made a confirming hum, and then she brought her mouth up to his in a soft kiss.

"Mmm," Seth hummed as he kissed her back, his lips enveloping hers easily. He wasn't sure why, but this time he didn't feel quite as anxious as he did the last time Kyra came onto him like this. Perhaps it was because they'd already been naughty together once. Yet, he still felt just as naughty as he began to caress Kyra's soft white skin.

Kyra made an attractive hum in her throat when Seth's roaming hands reached her lower reaches. Just one of Seth's hands was wide enough to squeeze her butt, so he used the other to hold the back of her head. The two of them sat there in bed and kissed fervently for several minutes, until it became impossible to hide his erection from her. He was still sexually frustrated after his encounter with May, so it didn't take him long at all to get fully erect.

With the glow of psychic energy, Seth felt his shorts and boxers slide down his legs, freeing his aching member from its bindings. Kyra let it rest in the crease of her butt, and then she started to gently move her body, stroking the skin pleasurably. "Ahh…K-Kyra." Seth shuddered and blushed. He wrapped his arms around Kyra and embraced her tightly. "I want…I want you."

Kyra replied with a pleased purr and continued to rub her butt against his length. She continued this for several minutes, while Seth shivered and panted in response to her efforts. Soon, Kyra wanted to do more. Seth's eyes widened when he felt the tip of his shaft catch against her warm entrance. He looked down to see Kyra looking back at him with a loving smile, a light blush evident on her cheeks as well.

"Kyra, but…your size. I don't think it'll fit," Seth expressed out of concern. That didn't seem to deter her at all. Kyra spread her legs and gingerly pressed herself against him, his length slipping inside of her. Seth gasped and cried out, finding her to be incredibly tight; far tighter than May had been. "Kyra! That's…"

Sure enough, it didn't take long before Seth couldn't get himself any deeper inside. Nevertheless, Seth was impressed that Kyra managed to take a little over half of his full length. Kyra wriggled her hips and expressed her pleasure with a shuddering coo.

"We...We should be careful," Seth managed to get out. He was doing his best to resist thrusting into her until he knew how much she could take. "I don't want to hurt you."

Kyra kissed him again, smiling at his concern for her. Yet it was very clear that she wanted him. She planted her feet on Seth's crotch and used it as leverage to lift herself up for a brief moment, before letting herself fall back down onto him. Feeling her slick inner walls clinging to him as she moved sent Seth's mind awash with desire.

After a few more bounces, Seth began to get a basic idea of how much Kyra could handle. With that in mind, he carefully started to thrust up into her in time with her movements. They increased their pace steadily as they grew used to one another. All the while, Seth and Kyra's lips pressed against one another's, their passion evident in their fervor.

Seth had to break away from Kyra to breathe, a glinting trail of saliva connected their lips together. He was beginning to feel his climax stirring deep in his loins, and he couldn't keep from groaning. Kyra seemed to be in a similar situation, the Ralts emitting quiet moans every time she'd take him all the way in.

"Kyra, I…I think I'm gonna…gonna cum," Seth whimpered to her. He found it hard to talk clearly, his mind blank from the growing pleasure he was feeling. Kyra acknowledged him with a pleasured squeak. Then, to his surprise, Seth felt her psychic power brushing against his prostate. When she started to apply pressure, he cried out, unable to hold back anymore. "Kyra! Aaah! C-Cumming!"

Seth hugged Kyra tightly as he came in spurts, his member throbbing as he filled Kyra up with his seed. Kyra let out a long keen and turned a bright red, her body shuddering as she squirted onto his crotch. She quickly overflowed, excess cum seeping out from her slit and trickling down her legs.

They remained joined for a few minutes as they panted and came down from their respective orgasms. Seth held Kyra closely, feeling nothing but gratitude for her. When he finally pulled out of her, even more cum oozed down Kyra's legs. "Oh wow…we're a mess," Seth noted with embarrassment at the puddle of fluids they were lying in. "We should wash up so we don't soak the sheets, but…"

Kyra didn't look as though she wanted to move, and Seth was feeling rather lethargic himself. At Kyra's look, Seth smiled. "You're right, that's the staff's job," he decided, and then he turned over, cuddling Kyra close to him and closing his eyes, letting his collective fatigue and satisfaction carry him off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading this far with me!
> 
> I have a few questions I'd like to answer in this note. First, I've been asked a few times why I'm including so much plot, rather than focusing on the sex. The answer is that this story originally came about as a result of me writing little blurbs of my fantasies as I played through Emerald. Therefore, I'm just staying true to that. Additionally, I wanted to try characterizing the different people you meet in the game for myself. (I've never actually watched the show) Finally, sex is only half of why I'm writing this. The other half is the stupid explosive battles. And everyone knows battles are boring if we don't know anything about the characters who are battling.
> 
> The other question is why I chose to give May a Duskull instead of one of the three starters. Well, that's simple. The playthrough I did of Emerald was randomized, and that's what she ended up with. The other random starter was Ralts, which was glorious because Gardevoir is the best waifu.
> 
> Lastly, a fun fact! I calculated distances by determining how the region corresponded to real world Japan. It turns out that Hoenn is Kyushu, and that the towns of Littleroot and Odale correspond with the towns of Sasebo and Saga, which are 30 miles apart. An average human can travel 30 miles in a twelve hour period, hence how long it took Seth. Yay, look at me, the writer spending way too much effort to write smut.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the steamy sex in this chapter, and I hope you stay with me for more!


	4. The First Trainer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth sets out on his journey to explore Hoenn, but he quickly discovers that he knows nothing about the country he's in now, and just how ravenous their trainers can be...

Seth stirred from his sleep, awoken by the insistent beeping from his phone. His eyes feeling heavy, he reached out and grabbed the phone from the floor where he'd left it. He winced, feeling the sheets sticking to his skin - a result of the previous night's activities. He noticed the smell of sweat and sex hanging in the room, making him feel a little embarrassed.

"Alright, perhaps not cleaning up afterwards was a mistake," Seth commented to himself as he extricated himself from the sheets. His movements soon disturbed Kyra, who woke up slowly with a lethargic hum. Seth looked down at her, his lips curving into a smile. He brushed a hand against her cheek gently. "Good morning, Kyra."

Kyra's partially obscured eyes opened in response to his voice, and she yawned silently, stretching her arms out. Seth couldn't help but find her incredibly cute. He chuckled when Kyra too had to unstick the sheets from her legs. "I don't envy the people that have to clean up after us," Seth remarked guiltily.

Seth glanced at his phone, noting that he had a message from May. "Hm. May wants to meet us at the edge of town when we're finished getting ready," Seth related to Kyra. "Now, let's get washed up. The last thing I want is for her to tease us again."

Kyra nodded, and then the two of them climbed out of bed and started to get ready for the journey home.

* * *

After a quick meal, Seth met up with May at the edge of town, dressed in his orange red biker outfit. Kyra sat on his shoulder, her legs dangling over his chest. She wasn't heavy at all; Seth estimated that she weighed less than twenty pounds.

"You and Kyra are so cute," May commented when she saw him approaching her. The moment Seth reached her, the two of them began the long walk back to Littleroot Town. "How was your night? Was Kyra satisfied?"

Seth flushed and rubbed his cheek with a finger awkwardly. He had forgotten that May had been present when he had promised Kyra sex the previous evening. "I…I think she was," Seth stammered. Kyra smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the side of his head, as if to reassure him. She immediately gave May a pointed stare afterwards.

"It looks like she was too," May remarked after seeing that display. "It's so adorable how possessive she is of you."

"I suppose I can't blame her. I mean, it goes both ways. I won't let anyone else touch her like I do," Seth returned as he reached up to gently grasp Kyra's arm. He noticed May gazing at him with a smug expression, which made him realize what he just said. He slapped a palm to his forehead. "I…that's so embarrassing to say out loud."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm just enjoying watching you go on this sexual awakening," May assured him, the girl proceeding forward with a spring in her step. Seth noticed the trees give way ahead, revealing the first of many cliffs that he had circumvented during his trip to Odale yesterday. May reached the edge and looked at him over her shoulder. "Check this out!"

"What are you...?" Before Seth could finish his question, May leapt over the edge of the cliff. She grasped the edge with her fingers just long enough to halt her momentum, and then she leapt down once more before reaching the bottom. "May?!"

"Come on down! We can hop down the cliffs on the way back!" May called up to him, the girl completely unharmed. Seth wondered how many times she had done this in the past to make it look so easy. "It'll shave an hour or so off of our travel time!"

"I suppose it's worth a try," Seth said hesitantly. Glancing over the edge of the cliff, he estimated that it was a six or seven foot drop at the most. He headed for the edge to give it a try himself. "Alright, hold on tight, Kyra."

Kyra obediently clung to his neck with her arms and legs. Once Seth was sure she was stable, he turned and descended the cliff, although his descent was somewhat slower than May's. When he reached the bottom, he looked back up the cliff briefly.

"Huh, I guess that is faster than going around," Seth admitted. The two of them started to walk again. "Still, you should warn someone before leaping over a cliff."

"But I did warn you," May replied, perplexed.

"You did not! You said 'check this out!'" Seth pointed out.

"That counts!" May protests.

"It does not!"

"Oh come on, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Right next to my sense of safety!"

"Aw, were you worried about me? You're so sweet, Seth." May was giggling helplessly now at the exasperated expression on Seth's face.

"Give me a break," Seth grumbled, which only served to amuse May further.

* * *

May's words were proven true; choosing to leap down the cliffs rather than circumvent them allowed the two of them to reach Littleroot Town in the early evening.

"I have a few things to take care of at home," May told Seth, performing a few stretches to ease her tired muscles. "I'll likely be leaving in the morning for my trip around Hoenn."

"You're leaving that soon?" Seth asked with surprise.

"Yeah! I can't wait. I want go to Lilycove and sign up for the contests, and I figure I'll hit the gyms on the way there," May confirms. "What about you? Have you decided what you're going to do next?"

"Not yet. I still need some time to think about it," Seth admitted. May nodded understandingly. "Anyway, I should head home myself."

"Okay. If I don't see you before I leave, then take care!" May responded. She gave him a little wave, and then the two of them went their separate ways.

Now that he was alone, Seth glanced up at Kyra. "Let's get home then, shall we?" he asked cheerfully. Kyra agreed with an equally cheerful hum, causing him to chuckle. He broke into a brisk walk.

* * *

"Welcome home, you two!" Caroline greeted Kyra and him as they walked through the door. He could already detect the smell of cooked meat permeating the front room, causing his mouth to water. "Thanks for letting me know you were close so I could make dinner for you. Are you hungry?"

Over the meal, Seth related the events of his journey to his mother, explaining the advice he received from May, including her suggestion to take on the Hoenn League. He of course omitted the sexual encounters he had with May and Kyra while he was there.

"The Hoenn League? That's…I never thought I'd see you considering something like that," Caroline expressed with some disbelief. "You always hated the idea of battling."

"I still do. However, Kyra seemed to enjoy the battle with May, even though we lost," Seth answered with a shrug. The Ralts in question rested on the table, a berry telekinetically floating in the air just in front of her mouth. "I want to make her happy, of course, but…"

"I understand. That is a rather tough decision. Have you decided what you're going to do yet?" Caroline pressed.

"Well, not quite. But I can give you an answer to the question you asked the other day," Seth began. Caroline blinked, but remained quiet, looking at him expectantly. He took a breath. "You can cancel my school enrollment. I know that I want to go on a trip around Hoenn, which could take me months."

"Okay. How are you going to handle money?" Caroline accepted his decision instantly, much to Seth's relief.

"May assures me that money shouldn't be an issue. She says that trainers will definitely go out of their way to challenge me, and she thinks that I can handle them and make some money," Seth explains to her.

"I wouldn't be surprised. You are your father's son, and battling comes naturally to him," Caroline answers. "Okay. Well then, whether or not you choose to challenge the League is up to you. But I can at least get you started on your trip."

"What do you mean?"

"I can transfer a sum of money into your account to tide you over in case your first trainer battles don't go well," Caroline offered. Seth blinked, taken aback by his mother's generosity.

"Are you sure that's okay? You won't need it for the house in case you need something else or if something goes wrong?" Seth asked. Caroline laughed, as though she had expected that.

"You're fine, don't worry. After all, your father and I thought this would happen eventually, so we've been saving up this fund for a while," Caroline revealed, much to his surprise. "We both want you to be happy, after all."

"Then thank you. I appreciate the support," Seth accepted with a gracious nod. With this, his journey would me much easier.

"Anytime," Caroline beamed. "Oh, by the way; the Professor wanted to see you when you got back."

"Okay. There's still time, so I may see him before the evening's over," Seth decided.

* * *

After dinner, Seth spent some time cleaning up the kitchen with his mother. Once they were finished, he picked up Kyra and headed to the lab to see if the professor was there. Thankfully, Adam answered the door not long after he arrived.

"Ah! I was hoping to catch you before you left again," Adam greeted Seth enthusiastically. He stepped aside, holding the door and ushering him in. "Come in, come in! I have much I want to talk with you about."

"How did you know I was going to be leaving again?" Seth questioned as he followed Adam into the sitting area. The two of them sat opposite one another at the table, upon which was a small black box made of plastic.

"Just a guess. I thought, knowing your wanderlust, the trip to Odale Town alone wouldn't be enough to satisfy you," Adam correctly surmised. "Am I right?"

"You are. It was a lot of fun exploring the path to Odale with Kyra," Seth admitted. He realized a moment later that Adam didn't know what he'd named his Ralts. "Kyra is what I named my Ralts, in case you were wondering."

"So I gathered! 'Kyra' is a good strong name. I'm glad you gave her a name in the first place; it's a sign of affection that most Pokémon appreciate," Adam replied, nodding with approval. He then leaned in to look at Kyra, who was sitting on Seth's shoulder again. "Hey there, Kyra! It's been a while since we last spoke. How are you liking your new trainer?"

Kyra smiled. She hugged the side of Seth's head and made a happy sound. Adam's response was to grin broadly with pride and look back at Seth. "I'm impressed! For her to become so attached to you in such a short time, you must be quite the trainer!" he praised Seth, which only made him get a little uncomfortable.

"Thanks, but all I've been doing is trying to treat her with love and care like you suggested," Seth said, scratching the back of his neck. "But I really like her. She's cute, and she has an interesting personality."

"Glad to hear it! I knew you two would get along well!" Adam returned. He picked up the black box from the table and set it out in front of Seth. "Now then, on to the reason I wanted to see you. If you're going out to explore Hoenn, do you think you could do me a favor?"

"I suppose. What kind of favor are we talking about?" Seth inquired curiously.

Before answering, Adam unlatched the box and removed the lid to reveal a strange red device. It was rectangular, but one end was rounded to accommodate an input wheel designed to look like a poké ball. The other end was hinged, suggesting that the featureless red plate on the top of the device was a lid that obscured the device's true functions.

"This, my friend, is a Pokédex! It's a device designed to gather, hold, and retrieve data on all of the Pokémon you discover!" Adam reveals proudly. Seth's eyes widened, having heard the term before. "It was invented by Professor Oak of course, but I've been working on adding a few features to it that still need testing."

"Are you giving this to me?" Seth asked, the incredulity clearly evident in his voice.

"That's right! I plan on handing one to May as well. To put it plainly, I would like to have a couple trainers with these traveling around Hoenn," Adam answered. "Every time you record a Pokémon with it, the data comes back to my master control unit to be categorized and stored in the growing database. I think it's about time Hoenn's Pokémon get added to that database. Go ahead, try it out on Kyra!"

Adam held the Pokédex out to him eagerly. Seth accepted it gingerly and opened the lid, revealing the slick LCD screen beneath, as well as an array of buttons. After getting a basic idea of how the controls worked, Seth set Kyra down on the table and pointed the Pokédex at her.

The device beeped upon detecting her. A soft blue light emanated from the back cover as the device briefly scanned her. Once it was finished, the screen lit up and displayed a variety of information on the Ralts species, including her name, gender, height, weight, and type. Seth also learned from the few lines of text that accompanied the 3D image that Ralts could indeed feel the emotions of the people around them, especially those of their trainer.

"That's really nifty," Seth commented, using his finger to turn the 3D model of the Ralts. It would have been nice to have this when he was trying to determine Kyra's gender three days ago. Then again, Seth liked the way his relationship with Kyra had turned out thanks to his awkward fumbling. "So all I have to do is scan the Pokémon I find?"

"That's right. Easy, right?" Adam affirmed while putting the black box away. "That Pokédex is yours now. I can't wait to see what Pokémon you discover on your journey! Which brings me to my next point. Do you know how to catch Pokémon?"

"In theory. Plus, I've seen my dad do it a few times when I was younger," Seth answered, placing the Pokédex into its own pocket in his bag. With his hands free, Seth picked Kyra back up and cradled her gently in his arms. "I could probably figure it out if I had to. Why?"

"Just making sure you knew how. No doubt you'll want to catch any Pokémon that catch your interest," Adam explained.

"Maybe, but I don't like the idea of capturing too many Pokémon," Seth expressed. When Adam raised an eyebrow, he decided he'd better explain. "If I'm going to have Pokémon, I'd want maybe a select few. If I have a lot of Pokémon, then some of them wouldn't get the attention they deserve, and that's not fair to them."

"I see. That's an admirable way to think. I can tell that you're going to be a trainer with your own unique style," Adam states with a nod of understanding. After a short silence, the professor stood up. "Well, I believe that's all I had to talk to you about. Have you decided when you're going to leave?"

"Probably in the morning. My only friend in town is May, so there's not much for me to do when she's out of town," Seth answered, standing up as well. He set Kyra on his shoulder and walked with Adam to the door. "Thank you for your help, professor."

"Of course! I look forward to seeing your progress," Adam states with a gracious nod of the head. He reaches into his front pocket and retrieves a small card. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here's my business card with my contact information, in case you need anything while on your journey."

Seth took the card from him and took a moment to input the number in his phone. After making a test call to make sure he'd input the number correctly, Seth thanked the professor again and left the lab, deciding to head home for the night.

By the time he returned, Caroline appeared to be in her room already, so Seth proceeded to his room uninterrupted. Once there, he quickly stripped down and climbed into bed. He held Kyra closely and got comfortable.

Tomorrow was going to mark the beginning of a long journey.

* * *

"Have you packed enough clothes?"

"I believe so. Five sets should be enough. I doubt there'll ever be a point where I spend five days in a row outside of a town."

"What about food for you and Kyra?"

"I think I've a large stockpile of food for the both of us. It's mostly travel food and berries; I can always get us something more luxurious in the towns if I have money to spare."

"Did you remember to bring the Pokédex I gave you?"

"Absolutely. I wouldn't forget something so valuable." Seth clutched the bulge in his pocket where the Pokédex was located. He stood at the northern exit of Littleroot Town, flanked by both Caroline and Adam, who had insisted on coming to see him off. Kyra, as was quickly becoming the norm, rested on his shoulder, her little legs swaying with every step he took. "Really, you two don't need to worry. Kyra's strong, so I'm not worried about anything."

"Worry? Not at all, my boy! I simply had to be here to see the start of your journey as a trainer!" Adam corrected Seth, clapping him heartily on the back. "I'm looking forward to seeing if you end up surpassing your father!"

"That'll be the day," Seth deadpanned. He'd grown up watching Norman battle on TV, so he knew very well just how much strength his father possessed.

"I'm always going to worry. That's in my job description, I believe," Caroline joked. She and Seth shared a brief hug, as it would likely be quite some time before they saw one another again. "I know you'll be fine, but call me if you ever need anything."

"I will." Seth hefted his bag and turned his gaze towards the north. "Now, I should get going. I'm thinking of heading to Petalburg City first to see Dad."

"That's a good idea. He'll be glad to see you," Caroline agreed. "Oh, and make sure to tell me his reaction to you getting a Pokémon!"

"Don't worry, I'll let you know if there's any squealing involved," Seth returned wryly, much to the amusement of the other two. He broke into a steady walk, giving them a small wave as he finally set out on his journey. "I'll keep in touch."

* * *

Once more, Seth found himself on the now familiar path that led to Odale Town. Even though he had already traversed this particular expanse of land twice now, it didn't feel any less wondrous. Seth began to realize that the act of traveling itself was something he enjoyed.

However, this time around, Seth had a new toy with which to experiment. The first time he ran into a wild Pokémon, he used his new Pokédex to scan it, learning its name and its information. In this manner, he collected information on Pokémon that he'd seen before on this route, but could never identify; Zigzagoon, Poochyena, Wurmple, and Taillow. They were interesting; he'd never seen the like in Johto. Despite that, Seth didn't feel like he'd want to catch them.

After a long day of traversing through the woods and winding his way up the cliffs, Seth found himself back in Odale Town. It was already late, so he booked a room at the same hotel as before…only to find that it was the same room. It had been cleaned since his last visit, and the woman in charge of cleaning knew full well what Seth had been up to, judging from the pointed look she gave him. Seth just coughed and tried to hide his blush.

"Note to self: Wash the sheets yourself next time, or use a different hotel every time," Seth commented to himself as he got ready for bed. "Or don't have sex. But…Kyra seems to want it."

After a short meal consisting of a sandwich for Seth and berries for Kyra, the two of them retired peacefully in the bed.

* * *

The next morning, it was time to enter unexplored territory. According to his map, Petalburg City was about twenty four miles to the west, as the crow flew. Not accounting for the time he spent exploring, Seth estimated about a six hour walk.

Seth ate breakfast in the hotel, and then he set out to the west. The first thing he encountered was a huge lake only a few miles outside of Odale. The water was deep and colored a brownish blue. If he had to guess, Seth thought that the lake stretched for about three miles.

A few miles past the lake, a large cliff face stretched to his right, barring his passage forward. Therefore, Seth decided to hug its base to the left, as the forest was too thick for his liking in the other direction. The whole time, Seth looked around him with wonder. It was mostly clear wilderness out here for as far as the eye could see. He found it beautiful, and a welcome change from the cityscape of Olivine.

Before long the forest began to thin, revealing an abundance of grassy clearings. It was here that Seth began to notice other travelers. As the path led him north up a steep hill, he happened across two male trainers locked in a battle with one another.

Curious, Seth paused and withdrew his Pokédex. He recognized one of the Pokémon that was in the battle: Wurmple. However, the other was unfamiliar to him, so he made sure to scan it. The device labeled the small black canine as a Poochyena. It was a dark type, though it wasn't evident from the battle before him why that was.

Satisfied, Seth continued on his way, uninterested in the outcome of the battle. He mulled aloud about the different Pokémon types and their advantages. He knew the obvious advantages, such as water against fire, but others he knew next to nothing about, as he had never cared to learn them before. He also knew from his battle with May that Kyra was weak against ghost types.

At last, Seth reached the top of the hill. He walked to the edge of a nearby cliff, realizing that he now stood on the cliff that had barred him earlier. From here, he could see the wide expanse of the lake, as well as Odale Town in the distance. He whistled at the view.

"Oh, hey! You here to check out the view too?" A feminine voice he didn't recognize called out to him from behind. Seth turned to see a young girl around his age approaching him. She gave a little wave and flashed him a smile.

She was somewhat shorter than him and had scruffy black hair tied into two short pigtails at the back. She wore a simple blue button-up shirt with a white undershirt beneath, as well as a short red skirt that didn't even reach her knees. In her hand, she bounced a single gleaming red poké ball.

"Yeah. It's beautiful up here." Seth greeted her with a nod, suppressing a grimace. That poké ball meant she was a trainer. "My name is Seth."

"Mine's Tiana. I'm on my way back to Odale," the girl revealed as she continued to approach. When she grew close enough, her brown eyes widened slightly. "Oh wow, you're cute."

"H-Huh? I uh…thanks, I guess," Seth stammered, taken off guard by the sudden compliment. He realized that this would be the first person his age apart from May that he'd ever spoken to in Hoenn. He had no idea how forward she would be. "I…guess you're not so bad yourself."

"Aw, no need to be shy!" Tiana giggled at Seth's reaction. She moved to stand at Seth's side, and in the process she spotted Kyra on the ground by his feet…who was staring at Tiana accusingly. "You look like you could be fun, but I'm more in the mood for a battle. That Ralts means you're a trainer, right?"

"You're challenging me? Even though we literally just met?" Seth asked with dismay. Tiana quirked an eyebrow.

"That's the best time to battle. I think I've been extra nice, considering I actually introduced myself first. A lot of trainers challenge on eye contact, you know," Tiana remarked. "So, how about it? Want to be a stepping stone for my own training?"

Seth blinked, somewhat offended by the question. He looked down at Kyra, meeting her eyes. He noticed that she was starting to get excited, likely at the prospect of a battle. He sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. It was simply luck that he hadn't run into this situation before now. He stepped away from the cliff.

"Fine, we'll battle. But I won't be your 'stepping stone,'" Seth returned.

"That's the spirit!" Tiana beamed, and the two of them put a distance of several meters between them, forming an ample battle area atop the cliff. "So how does sixty Pokédollars sound for a wager?"

"Works for me," Seth agreed readily.

With all the pre-battle discussion out of the way, Tiana threw the poké ball in her hand at the ground, releasing the Pokémon inside in a flash of light. "It's time to battle, Poochyena!"

Seth recognized the small creature as a Poochyena, the canine measuring a few inches taller than Kyra. Upon seeing her, the Poochyena's hackles rose and it started kicking at the ground. Kyra simply remained still, watching its opponent silently.

"This should be easy," Tiana declared with a smirk. She pointed at Kyra. "Poochyena, take it down!"

The Poochyena barked in confirmation and broke into a run, moving towards Kyra in a straight line. Seth noted how predictable its path was, compared to the Zigzagoon he was used to battling.

"Wait for it to get close, and then blast it away," Seth directed Kyra, making sure to keep his voice low so that Tiana wouldn't hear his directions. With such a predictable approach, Seth hoped for an easy win.

Kyra nodded, and its body began to glow with psychic energy. Tiana noticed that, and to Seth's confusion, her smirk widened. "Don't stop, Poochyena! She's all yours!" Tiana ordered.

When the Poochyena sped up, Seth realized that something was wrong. "Wait, Kyra, I don't…!" Seth tried to get out, but he was seconds too late. The Poochyena reached Kyra and lashed out with its front paws. Kyra lifted her arms and attempted to grasp her opponent, but her telekinesis didn't seem to have any effect on it. Thus unaffected, the Poochyena's attacked landed, and he knocked her hurtling backwards, leaving a noticeable bruise on her skin.

"Kyra!" Seth cried out with fear. He wanted to rush to her side, but when he saw her getting up, he resisted. "How did…why didn't your psychic powers work?"

"Didn't you go to trainer's school? Everybody knows that psychic power doesn't work on dark types," Tiana answered smugly, the confident girl starting to bounce with excitement. Due to the shortness of her skirt, Seth couldn't help but notice the pink panties she wore beneath. "Sorry, there's no way for you to win! Poochyena, finish her!"

"I wish I'd have known that first," Seth grumbled. All Kyra could do was use telekinesis, so Seth realized that Tiana was probably right. He was starting to feel the hopelessness of this battle, but his train of thought was cut off by a low cry from Kyra. She was looking directly at him, unamused, causing Seth to recall that she could feel his emotions. "Why are you looking at that? How can we win if you can't hurt her…watch out, it's coming again!"

Kyra once again waited for the Poochyena to reach her. Just as it leapt into the air to strike at her, she disappeared in a flash. The Poochyena skidded across the ground where she had once been, and immediately turned around to see Kyra reappear several meters away, close to the trees that dotted the cliff's southern edge.

The Poochyena growled and broke into another charge. Kyra began to glow again, and small fallen branches rose into the air around her. With a wave of her arms, the debris hurtled through the air towards her opponent.

To Set's' surprise, the Poochyena bothered to dodge them, leaping from side to side as it ran. The realization suddenly dawned on him. "Kyra, you're a genius! I didn't even think about that!" Seth exclaimed.

"Smart, but it doesn't matter! My Poochyena isn't slow enough to be hit by the likes of that!" Tiana boasted. As the Poochyena reached Kyra once more, she cheered loudly…only to fall quiet abruptly when her Pokémon slammed into a translucent white pane of energy that had appeared in front of Kyra.

Kyra's brow set in concentration as she left the protective field fall. Before the Poochyena could retaliate, she revealed a stone the size of her head floating in her telekinetic grasp. The canine gave one small yelp, and then Kyra sent the stone rocketing forward into its chest with enough force to carry it clear across the field, so that it landed at Tiana's feet.

Tiana stared at her Pokémon with surprise. Once she realized that the Poochyena was unconscious, she blinked and looked up at Seth. "Did…did I just lose?" she asked disbelievingly. She gave an incredulous laugh. "I can't believe it. This should have been easy."

Kyra appeared in front of him with a look of pride upon her face. Ignoring Tiana for now, Seth knelt down and withdrew a potion from his bag. "I'm sorry I didn't know about dark types. You wouldn't have been hurt if I'd known that," Seth apologized to her as he administered the potion to her bruise. Kyra's response was to smile and hug his leg. "Heh, I think you're actually smarter than I am."

"You did well, Poochyena. Come on back." Tiana had just finished treating her Pokémon as well. After she recalled her Poochyena, she approached Seth with the money she had promised him. "Guess I ended up being your stepping stone. Your Ralts is pretty tough."

"Thanks. I should have lost though. If you'd have hit Kyra any harder, you'd have won," Seth pointed out, although he did take the money. "Plus, I didn't know anything, like you said. When I became a trainer, I wasn't intending to battle."

"Psh, what is that? If you're a trainer, you should be battling," Tiana scoffed. "But, you still won. Battling isn't all about the trainer, after all. It's a partnership. You won because your Ralts was smart enough to compensate for her weakness. I lost because I didn't predict that protective ability of hers."

"I see what you mean, I suppose. Though, to be honest, I didn't know she could do that either," Seth admitted, earning another scoff of disbelief from Tiana. He noticed Kyra giving him a coy expression. "Wait, Kyra, did you keep that from me on purpose?"

Kyra impertinently stuck her tongue out at him. Seth stared at her in disbelief, and then he shook his head.

"Well, that's that!" Tiana placed her poké ball back on her belt, and then she approached Seth once again. "So, are you in a hurry or anything?"

"No, not really," Seth replied, placing his hands in his pockets. "I'm just taking my time, exploring the wild as I go. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, so you're a romantic. I kinda like that," Tiana commented, avoiding Seth's question. Seth suddenly realized that she was getting rather close to him. She stared up at him with a seemingly innocent smile, the mischief glinting in her eyes. She leaned forward, her hands clasping behind her back. "So if there's no rush, want to kill some time and have a little fun with me?"

"I don't see why not. Like I said, I'm not in a rush. What did you have in mind?" Seth asked curiously. Kyra looked at Tiana suspiciously, but made no other action.

Tiana appeared briefly confused. "You're kidding, right? What else would you do with me out here in the wild?" she demanded. It took a few moments for the wheels in Seth's head to finish turning. When he realized what she was talking about, he flushed and instinctively took a step back, his back pressing against a tree. "There you go. You're a little dense, aren't you?"

May wasn't kidding about Hoenn's societal standards. This was the second time Seth was being hit on by someone he just met. "I…I don't think I should," Seth tried to protest. He knew that Kyra didn't like it when he had sex with others, and he didn't know how May would feel.

Tiana pressed her hands against Seth's chest, holding him there. "Why not? Do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend or something?" she asked curiously. Seth blinked, realizing that she just asked if he was with another boy with a straight face. He had a hard time figuring out whether he liked Hoenn or not, based on all the information he was receiving.

"No, but…" Seth began, but Tiana cut him off.

"Good, because I'm no cheater," she expressed with satisfaction. She lightly traced the contours of his chest as her hands gradually descended towards his waist. Seth let out a whimper, which only seemed to amuse her. "Oh, would you relax? You'll enjoy this…unless you're only into men."

"I'm not…or I don't think I am. I've never…I don't…" Seth tried to explain. Tiana let out an annoyed huff, and then she kissed him right on the lips, effectively shutting him up. His blush deepened as he felt her slick tongue sliding into his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to resist her. He squeaked when he felt one of her hands reach his crotch and gently squeeze.

Tiana broke the kiss and chuckled when she looked at his face. "You're just the cutest thing. You'd think you'd never been with a girl before," she remarked. She tilted her head. "You have been with a girl before, right? With a face like that, they should be all over you."

"I…I have, but…only recently. I'm from Johto," Seth blurted out. He could feel her fingers skillfully unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down. "Wait, I…"

"Oh, well that would explain it," Tiana let her face briefly rest in her palm. She sighed and let Seth's pants drop to the ground, revealing his half-erect member dangling in front of her. She lowered herself down on her knees, such that she was looking directly at it. "Then just think of it like this; I'm doing you a favor, no strings attached."

"But…what if someone comes?" Seth asked, desperate for any kind of out.

"Then we'll give them a show," Tiana retorted without missing a beat.

But that's…aaah!" Seth's protests swiftly turned into a soft gasp as he suddenly felt Tiana's lips closing around the tip of his shaft. He felt as though his face was burning as Tiana took him all the way in, even farther than May ever did. He felt his tip slipping into the back of her throat, the girl's face pressed all the way into his crotch. His legs trembled, and he had to brace his hands on her head to keep from stumbling. "Tiana, that's…you're…"

Tiana made a muffled sound of pleasure at Seth's reactions. She slid his shaft out of her mouth briefly and stroked it repeatedly, easily getting it completely hard. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing," she remarks, wiping a trail of saliva away from her mouth. She paused when she heard Kyra huff in frustration beside her. She turned her head to look. She started to laugh when she saw the blush on Kyra's face. "Is…is your Ralts jealous?"

"Yes…wait, I mean no…I mean…maybe?" Seth stammered, cursing himself for his inability to lie convincingly.

"Hah! That's great! She can have her turn after I'm done and gone," Tiana promised with a shrug, seemingly not caring about the implied fact that Seth and Kyra were sexually active together. Once more, Seth wondered just how sexually free this region was. His thoughts were completely derailed when Tiana went back to sucking on his length.

Tiana certainly did know what she was doing. She bobbed her head up and down on his length, sucking harder whenever she went in, and switching to teasing licks whenever she went back. One hand cupped Seth's balls, while the other would stroke at the base of his shaft whenever she pulled back. With this kind of treatment, Seth melted against the tree, panting heavily as he pressed his hands against Tiana's head.

As she worked, Tiana occasionally slipped a free hand into her panties and slid her fingers into her slit. Together, she and Seth grew closer and closer to their respective orgasms. Finally, Seth felt it coming, and it was getting harder and harder to hold it back.

"T-Tiana…I'm gonna…it's…I'm…!" Seth did his best to warn her. Tiana took his shaft out of her mouth and nodded, licking her lips.

"Okay. Then I'll let you finish inside me," Tiana decided. She stood up and placed her hands on Seth's shoulders. She forced him to switch places with her, so that it was her back resting against the tree. She hiked up her skirt to show her damp pink panties, which she quickly slid down. Once they were out of the way, she used two fingers to spread apart her entrance, arousal dripping down onto the ground.

Seth was far past the point of thinking straight, so he couldn't stop himself from pinning Tiana against the tree. After taking a moment to position himself at her entrance, he parted her folds and shoved his hips up against her.

"Ahhh, hell yes!" Tiana cried out roughly. She wrapped her arms around Seth's shoulders and held him tightly, so that he couldn't pull away. She gasped when she felt his hands squeezing her butt and lifting her up off the ground as he thrust into her repeatedly. "Oh wow, you're…aaah…getting really into…nfff…this! Oh, I think I'm gonna squirt!"

Seth, lost in his lust, pounded Tiana relentlessly until he couldn't hold it back anymore. With a groan, he thrust one last time and released himself inside of her. Tiana's eyes rolled up and her mouth opened in a cry of pleasure as she too came.

Moments later, the two rested side by side against the tree, each of them slowly catching their breath after that exertion. Finally, Tiana produced a set of paper towels. "Here, you can use this to clean up," Tiana offered. Seth accepted them gratefully and proceeded to wipe himself off. "There, that wasn't so bad, wasn't it?"

"I suppose not," Seth answered, hanging his head. He was disappointed in himself that he couldn't tell her no, but it had been a rather enjoyable experience. He looked over at Kyra, expecting to get a glare, but instead all he got was a smile. Surprisingly, she didn't seem angry at him at all. Tiana, on the other hand, seemed to be the target of Kyra's animosity. He didn't quite understand what she was feeling.

Tiana finished cleaning first. Once she was dressed, she leapt to her feet. "Alright, thanks for that! I should probably get going. Got a lot of training to do if I don't want to lose like that again," she expressed. After waving at him, she climbed down the cliff, heading back towards Odale.

Now that Seth was left with Kyra, he gave her his full attention. "I am sorry about that one. I didn't see it coming," Seth confessed. "She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

Kyra tilted her head. She hugged Seth's arm, suggesting that she held nothing against him whatsoever. "You're fine with what just happened?" Seth asked, surprised. Kyra shook her head gently, glaring down the cliff after Tiana. "But then…why aren't you mad at me?"

Kyra of course couldn't give a satisfactory answer, so she just hugged him again. "I don't get it…but I guess I can play twenty questions with you later," Seth decided. He climbed to his feet as well and pulled up his pants. "Petalburg is still quite some ways away. Shall we get going?"

With that, Seth and Kyra set off once more, heading due west in the direction of Petalburg City, where his father awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far! This one gave me some difficulties, but that's just because I was trying to fit in a sex scene here so I don't throw an all plot chapter at you too soon. You're already being kind and dealing with all the plot I've had so far, so I didn't want to push my luck.
> 
> Thus, the scene with Tiana was added. I don't care for random trainers usually, as there's really not many memories other than annoyance associated with them. Yet, I always did like the random lasses back in the days of Red & Blue, so I made an exception. That being said, don't except too many sex scenes with generic trainers unless a big name is involved. I only hope it doesn't seem like I half-assed this one. I was trying not to, but I wasn't feeling it.
> 
> Anyway, thank all of you for sticking with me so far! That goes double for anyone who's reviewed so far! It's nice to know I'm not the only one embarking on this journey of degeneracy!


	5. Meeting Wally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth arrives in Petalburg City at long last. Still troubled over what to do about being a trainer, his path takes him to his father...

The sprawling expanse of Petalburg City became visible on the horizon in the early afternoon, just after Seth crested a particularly large hill. From here, he could see the regular structures of the city covering the surface of the neighboring hill like a blanket. Excited, Seth quickened his pace.

The remainder of the trip was mostly uneventful, with the exception of a couple battles with two boys that had accosted him along the way. Through battling with them, Seth learned about another advantage the psychic type held: bug types weren't a threat to it. Kyra handled their bug Pokémon without any real effort, resulting in a decent payout of cash for Seth.

It was still early in the afternoon when the two of them arrived in Petalburg City proper, so Seth took the time to explore as much of the town as he could. In the process, he learned that the city was significantly larger than Odale and Littleroot. Additionally, the city's urban nature was clearly apparent. The buildings were made of concrete and steel, rather than wood and shingle, and the streets were paved.

Yet, despite these advancements, it still managed to remain in tune with nature. The streets were narrow and allowed grass and trees to grow on either side, with the odd appearance of a flower bed here and there. During Seth's wanderings, he discovered a river that ran through the city and disappeared into the forest, where it likely emptied into the ocean. He also noted several fishing lakes. Near these small bodies of water, there were no major buildings, and nature was allowed to reign free.

When Seth reached the western side of town, he stopped to smell the breeze that blew in from the ocean. Just a few miles from here was the beach, which no doubt was a popular tourist spot. He made a mental note to visit on his way out of town. However, he couldn't go there just yet. There was something far more important of which he needed to take care.

"I guess it's time for me to take your advice," Seth said to Kyra, who was resting on his shoulder as per usual. He looked up at the building before him, noting its unique style compared to the rest of the city. "Heh. Dad always did like to keep things traditional. This must be a dream come true for him."

Unlike the city buildings, the building before him was built with a skeleton structure made of timber, which had then been coated with multiple layers of hard plaster. The roof was supported by a similar wooden framework and topped with dark aquamarine-colored tiles. To embellish the building's true nature, the wall just beneath the peak of the roof was plated with brass, where the image of a large poké ball was engraved.

Seth took a breath and climbed the steps to the entrance. He pulled open the sliding door and stepped into the room, his footfalls creaking against the polished cedar floor. Here, he was met by a stocky man wearing a tan suit, who moved to greet him.

"Welcome, trainer! Are you here to challenge the gym?" the man addressed him, stepping in Seth's path to prevent his progress. "If you are, I hope you're ready for a real fight! Our new gym leader is the real deal! I hear he was recruited from all the way in Johto!"

"Oh no, I'm not here to challenge anything." Seth took a step back to put some space between himself and the man. Looking around, Seth couldn't see his father anywhere in the front room. "I'm just here to see my father. Could you go and find him for me?"

"Well, no offense, but I'm not an errand boy," the man said with a disinterested shrug, already moving back to his original position. "What makes you think I'd know your father anyway?"

"My father is the gym leader," Seth clarified. The man turned in surprise, and stared at Seth for several seconds before his expression turned thoughtful.

"That would do it. One moment then," the man conceded with a click of his tongue. He passed through one of the two doors in the back of the room, leaving Seth alone in the front room. He wasn't kept waiting for very long.

The familiar figure of Norman, Seth's elusive father, emerged from the rightmost door in the back wall. He cut an impressive figure, his very posture and gait betraying his inner strength. Norman's hair, though black like his son's, was cut significantly shorter and neater. His face was youthful for his age, with a chiseled jawline and well defined cheek bones.

More impressive was his body in general. Norman was very dedicated to his workout routine, and his diligence showed in the form hardened muscles that ran through his wiry arms and his pronounced abdominal and pectoral muscles.

For clothes, Norman wore a white undershirt that clung tightly to his body, and a crimson zipper jacket that flapped loosely behind him as he walked. Additionally, he wore a set of long athletic black pants with a chain clipped to his belt.

"Seth, you really are here. I thought he was kidding," Norman commented when he caught sight of his son resting against the wall on the other side of the room. Seth shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze of his father, waiting with anticipation for his father to notice Kyra. "I was going to visit in a few days. Why didn't you wait until I…"

Norman cut off abruptly when he caught sight of Kyra standing on the floor beside Seth. Despite his father's usual composure, the bemusement was evident in his expression as the wheels in his mind turned. Kyra felt a little uncomfortable, and she shifted closer to Seth, clinging to his leg.

"You have a Pokémon," Norman observed. To anyone else, it may have seemed as though he was unimpressed, but Seth knew his father well enough to know when he was excited. However, this was the first time that excitement had ever been expressed towards Seth. A boyish grin crossed Norman's face, and he rapidly approached Seth. "Is this real? You're not playing a joke on me, are you?"

"Hey, Dad," Seth greeted his father awkwardly. He suddenly found himself at a loss for words, faced with Norman's imposing figure. He didn't exactly know how to have a conversation with his father. "It's not a joke. I had a few things I wanted to talk to you about."

"You're in luck. I have this evening free, so we can talk all you want," Norman offered. To Seth, it seemed as though his body was brimming with barely restrained enthusiasm.

"Really? The whole evening?" Seth could hardly believe what he'd just heard.

"That's what I said. I want to hear all about how you ended up with a Pokémon," Norman insisted. He motioned to Seth with a hand and headed back towards the door from which he'd entered. "Come on, we'll talk in the back."

Seth nodded and picked Kyra up, the Ralts squeaking as he placed her on his shoulders. He followed Norman through the door, discovering that the gym extended through several battle rooms, where the gym trainers resided. The ones they passed waved to Norman, but he mostly ignored them apart from a grunt of acknowledgment.

"Who's your friend?" Norman questioned as they walked, gazing at Kyra. "Have you named her yet?"

"I did. Her name is Kyra," Seth answered after a short pause. The fact that he had his father's full undivided attention still felt somewhat surreal to him, especially after all these years. When Seth saw Norman reaching for Kyra, he decided to warn him. "Be careful. She seems not to like it when anyone other than me touches her."

"Oh, is that so?" Norman withdraws his hand, though he appeared curious, rather than offended. He nods as if he'd expected this. "It's not unusual for a Ralts to bond so tightly with their trainers…but it is unusual that she feels that way towards you so soon. How long have you had her?"

Norman and Seth entered the final room, where the former would no doubt take on challengers. It was a simple room, consisting of a wide open room with a marked field in the center and rows of raised seating lining the perimeter. There was a single small door in the back of this room, which is where Norman led him.

The two of them sat down on the couches in this room, sitting opposite one another. Before Seth answered, he placed Kyra in his lap, where she rested comfortably. "It's been almost a week now," Seth answered. "Professor Birch is the one who gave her to me. He was rather insistent about it."

"Ah. I thought he might try," Norman admitted. His grin then returned. "But I'm more surprised about the fact that you accepted it. I'd always thought you didn't like Pokémon."

"It's not that I didn't like them, it's just…" Seth cut off in the middle of his sentence and sighed. He was here to talk about how he should proceed from here on out, not dredge up subjects that were best left unsaid. "I do like Pokémon. I don't like battling with them. That's actually the reason why I'm here."

Norman sat back in the couch, his grin fading. He waited for Seth to continue in silence. Seth took a breath. "I'm going on a trip around Hoenn," he revealed. Norman's eyes widened in response. "But having a Pokémon means I'm a trainer, and I still don't like to battle. I don't know how I should proceed."

"You're…asking me for advice?" Norman asked, looking as if that had been the last thing he'd expected. Seth nodded and looked down briefly out of discomfort, knowing how unusual of an interaction this was for them. Norman was quiet at first, but then a small smile crossed his face. "Alright, I'll do what I can. First, did Caroline already give you the money we saved up?"

"She did. I can't believe you two saved up all of that for me," Seth replied.

"We knew you'd want to go out and explore eventually, once you'd grown up," Norman stated with a shrug. "That'll at least get you somewhere. But more importantly, let's address this reluctance you have towards battling. I'll be blunt; as a trainer, you're not going to be able to avoid challenges."

"You see, I thought you'd say something like that," Seth responded with the disappointment evident in his voice. His frustration started to rise. Ever since he'd been offered this Pokémon, the thought of being dragged into battles always appalled him, and now it appeared that there was no escape. "Why does everything about Pokémon always come down to battles?"

"Calm down." Norman's eyes narrowed at Seth's tone, but he didn't raise his voice. Norman never raised his voice; His words were firm and biting, and their intensity alone was enough to cause Seth to flinch. "Don't you think you're generalizing too much? Having Pokémon is hardly all about battling with them. It's not that simple."

"Then what? Pokémon battles are almost all I ever hear about. Not to mention, it's 'bad etiquette' to turn down a trainer battle? How is that fair?" Seth demanded. Norman opened his mouth briefly, and then he sighed.

"Let's approach this from a different angle. What is it about battling that bothers you so much?" Norman tries again, remaining composed despite his son's rapidly declining mood.

"I don't like seeing Pokémon get hurt," Seth confessed. "I wouldn't bother with it at all, but…Kyra seems to like battling. That's why I don't know what to do."

Norman closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he pondered how to respond. When he opened them again, Seth blinked at the hard look in his father's eyes.

"I'm going to be brutally honest with you. Is that alright?" Norman asked softly. Seth hesitated. He was unsure what his father was going to say, but curiosity got the better of him. He nodded slowly. "Very well. I'll start by telling you that you're being both incredibly selfish and utterly foolish."

"W-What?" Seth stammered, recoiling as if he had been struck. What was even worse is that Kyra appeared to agree with Norman, as she was nodding. "What do you mean?"

"You said that Kyra likes battling, didn't you? That means that by keeping her from doing something that she enjoys all for the sake of protecting her, you're disregarding her wishes and thinking only of yourself. That is why I said you are being selfish," Norman lectured harshly. Seth wanted to protest, but the words wouldn't come to him. He hated to admit it, but his father had a point. "Secondly, let's talk about battles themselves. You do realize that no Pokémon are permanently harmed in these battles?"

"Yes, I know we have potions and Pokémon centers, but that doesn't make their pain irrelevant," Seth argued.

"Let's try a metaphor, then. Think of Pokémon battles as a sporting event. Is there a single type of sports that doesn't involve risk of some kind?" Norman tried a different tact. "Football, soccer, and even something as simple as running; these all involve some manner of risk. Why then, do you think people and Pokémon still participate in such events?"

"Because they enjoy it," Seth answered as though it were common sense. His eyes widened when he realized the point his father was trying to make. "It's not the same…those are…"

"It is the same. Think of boxing, wrestling, and other full contact sports. There's no difference between these sports and Pokémon battling," Norman insisted. He leaned forward. "Imagine a worried mother telling her son that he can't participate in any sports because she doesn't like the fact that he could be hurt. That is why I said you are being foolish."

Seth was speechless. In the face of his father's reasoning, he couldn't come up with a reasonable argument. Norman waited patiently in silence while his son struggled to process the thoughts running through his head.

"You're right," Seth finally admitted, the words tasting bitter as they left his lips. He felt sick to think that he'd been ignoring Kyra's feelings this whole time, and chastised that his father had to be the one to help him see that. "Honestly, before I got here, I thought you were just going to tell me to be a trainer and get over myself. Thank you for taking me seriously on this."

"You're an adult now, Seth. It's only right that I treat you as one," Norman responded, the smile returning to his face. An enthusiastic glint emerged in his eyes. "By the way, I want to hear about these battles you and Kyra have been in."

"One more thing before I do that. What should I do from here?" Seth asked.

"That's a conversation you should be having with Kyra," Norman pointed out. "Though, my opinion is that if she wants to battle, you should support her. Give her the challenges she seeks."

"You mean…the Hoenn League?" Seth asked uncertainly. Kyra lit up at that suggestion, and she made several happy hums. Seth chuckled a bit and stroked her hair gently. Thanks to Norman's words, the idea of taking on the league didn't seem nearly as appalling to him as it did before. But there was one small thing that bothered him. "D-Doesn't that mean I have to battle you?"

Norman laughed heartily at Seth's question. "In the future, perhaps, when you're stronger. Roxanne over in Rustboro would be a better place to start," he suggested. "But the point I was trying to make is that if you love and support Kyra and her interests, the bond between you will grow stronger yet. Be there for your Pokémon, and your Pokémon will be there for you."

"That sounds like something Professor Birch said to me," Seth remarked.

"Who do you think taught me that in the first place?" Norman returned with a smirk. He took a moment to glance at the clock, noting that it was starting to get close to dinner time. "Let me order some food for us, and then I want to hear about those battles. I'm curious to see how well you've done."

* * *

It wasn't hard to recognize that Norman lived for his Pokémon and for battle, so he wasn't often in the house back when they'd lived in Olivine. He and Seth had a difficult time relating to one another, as the latter hadn't shared the former's enthusiasm for Pokémon. Thus, this had been the first time for as long as Seth could remember that he'd spent so much time with his father.

"Thanks for taking the time to meet with me," Seth expressed gratefully as the two of them walked out of the gym that night. "I know you're often busy."

"It's no trouble. I'm just happy you came to see me," Norman returned sincerely. He shook his head, chuckling. "It's still surprising. I didn't expect you to show up today, much less as a trainer."

"Neither did I, but there it is," Seth admitted, petting Kyra gently as he cradled her in his arms.

"Do you have a place to stay the night? I have an extra room in the gym if you want it," Norman offered.

"Thanks, but I booked a room before coming here," Seth answered. With that, the two of them bid one another good night and Seth parted ways with his father. He walked through the darkened streets for several minutes, and then he sighed. "That was not at all how I expected that to go."

Kyra stirred in his arms and looked up at him with curious eyes. Seth smiled as he met her gaze. "He was right, though. I'm sorry for being so selfish, by the way. I didn't realize that battling means as much to you as exploring does to me," he apologized to her. Kyra returned his smile and leaned her head up with her lips poised to kiss him. Seth checked around to make sure there was no one nearby, and then he dipped down to accept her kiss, their lips brushing together briefly. "I wish I could ask you why you like battling so much. Not that I'm judging you of course, but I can't help being curious."

Seth continued walking through the city towards the edge of the city, where the hotel he'd chosen was located. He mused aloud about his future plans to Kyra, knowing full well that she couldn't answer.

He was keeping a close eye on his surroundings, but he wasn't prepared for the man that rushed around a nearby street corner and ran into his shoulder. Seth planted his feet just in time and remained upright, but the other man wasn't as lucky.

"Ah!" the man yelped in a soft tenor voice. He fell backward helplessly, his rear skidding along the pavement below. He thankfully managed to keep himself from hitting his head by planting his hand against the pavement. Panting, he looked up at Seth apologetically with pale blue eyes and lifted his hands placatingly. "I-I'm sorry. I was in a h-hurry; I didn't think anyone else would be out this late."

Seth looked down at him. The man looked to be distinctly younger than him, possessing a youthful rounded face and messy greenish hair. He wore a light blue sweater over a pair of khaki pants, and a small messenger bag was slung over his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it." Seth looked down at the man. He couldn't help but notice that the man was still panting, as though he were having trouble catching his breath. His skin appeared very pale as well, making Seth wonder if something was wrong with him. Seth leaned down partially and offered him a hand. "Here, take my hand."

The man smiled gratefully and accepted, his smaller hand seeming to slip into Seth's grasp. Seth planted a foot and tugged hard enough to pull the younger man up off of the ground. Halfway through, however, Seth realized that he'd put too much strength into it. The other man realized it as well, and as a result, he staggered in an attempt to halt himself.

Seth halted the man's progress forward by placing his hands on his shoulders. When he looked forward, he realized just how close the two of them were standing to one another. He could see the man's eyes just in front of his, their noses nearly touching. They stood like that for a moment, and then both of their cheeks turned a light shade of red. The two of them stepped away from one another and averted their gazes.

"S-Sorry, I pulled too hard…" Seth stammered.

"I'm sorry; I'm just so clumsy…" the younger man stuttered at the exact same time. The two of them cut off when they realized they were both apologizing, neither one of them knowing what to say next. Finally, Seth started to chuckle at the whole situation. Thus reassured, the other man laughed softly as well. "Um…should we…start over?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Seth agreed hastily. "My name is Seth. What's yours?"

"I-I'm Wally. It's nice to meet you, Seth." the man introduced himself, and then the two of them briefly shook hands. Seth was surprised by the handshake, as he was used to people having a stronger and more assertive grip than him, but Wally was just like him, such that Seth had to be the one to take the lead. "I'm sorry. This is such a strange way to meet someone."

"I'll say. Like you, I didn't think anyone would be out this late," Seth responded with a dry chuckle. "If you don't mind me asking, why _are _you out this late?"__

____

Wally's eyes widened slightly at the question, and then his blush returned. As he replied, he nervously pressed the tips of his fingers together. "Um…well…I wanted to see the wild Pokémon in the route past here," Wally admitted. His way of speaking was unusual. He was soft spoken, but it was his intonation that caught Seth's attention; the way he spoke was shy, reserved, and somewhat feminine.

"You like to watch the Pokémon?" Seth asked with minor interest.

"Mhm! I love Pokémon, and watching them is the closest thing to having one of my own," Wally explained, his eyes shining despite his apparent nervousness. He then brought a hand to his mouth, as if he'd said something he shouldn't have. "W-Why, is that weird?"

"I don't think so. It is nice to see Pokémon in the wild," Seth agreed. Wally let out a quiet exhale of relief, and his lips curved into a smile. "Why can't you have one of your own?"

Wally's smile fell in an instant, to be replaced by a distinctly uncomfortable expression. He diverted his gaze away from Seth. "It's…It's because…I…" Wally started to say, but then he trailed off. He sighed, and then he briskly walked past Seth, looking sad. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't trouble you. Please excuse me; I need to get home before my family starts to worry."

"Hey, wait," Seth called after Wally, but it wasn't long before he was alone with Kyra in the streets. Seth blinked and gazed down the street with confusion and curiosity. He wondered if he'd said something wrong. "What was that all about?"

* * *

Seth started to strip down as soon as he was safely inside of his hotel room. It had been a long tiring day, and his body cried out for some rest. He set Kyra down on the bed and folded up his dirty clothes. "I can handle laundry tomorrow before I leave," Seth decided. He looked over to Kyra and smiled. "Maybe we can visit the beach as well before we leave town. After all, it's not like we're in a hurry, right?"

Kyra agreed by raising an arm and humming enthusiastically, earning a chuckle from Seth. He joined her on the bed, wearing nothing but his boxers. He lifted her onto his chest, one of his arms curled around her tiny body.

"That reminds me. I've decided that we're going to Rustboro next," Seth explained to her. He traced the lines of her neck and shoulders with his hand affectionately, causing her to lean her head against him. "I've decided that we're going to battle Roxanne."

Kyra's head jerked up in surprise, her mouth forming into an 'o' shape. "I still don't want to see you get hurt, but you're looking to challenge yourself, right? So I've decided to support you," Seth proclaimed. Kyra's body trembled from excitement, and then she threw herself against Seth, her arms wrapping around his neck in a happy embrace. Seth chuckled and stroked her back, finding her enthusiasm adorable. "In return, you have to put up with me every time I want to go off the beaten path. Deal?"

Seth offered a finger to Kyra, despite knowing how utterly silly he looked. Kyra didn't seem to mind, as she beamed and pressed the tip of her arm to his finger. Before Seth realized it, Kyra was kissing him again, her soft velvety lips pressing against his. Seth blushed, but happily returned her kiss, holding the Ralts steady on his chest and stroking the back of her head with a free hand.

Seth was familiar with the concept that a person could experience something only so many times before it became commonplace, or uninteresting. Yet, no matter how often he and Kyra spent time together like this, it had yet to lose its spark.

He spent several minutes just kissing her there in the bed, turning his head and allowed their tongues to meet. It was a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one. He was content with this, but soon he started to feel a psychic tug on his boxers. He broke the kiss briefly and gazed into Kyra's eyes.

"Oh, you want to go further?" Seth asked softly, his heartbeat quickening with excitement. A naughty thrill coursed through him upon hearing Kyra's gentle coo. He nodded, an idea coming to him. "Can I try out what I learned from May on you?"

Kyra paused, and then she tilted her head, as if thinking. She glanced back at Seth's crotch, and then back at him. It took Seth a few moments to guess what she was thinking.

"Don't worry about that right now. I just want to see if what she taught me works for you as well," Seth assured her. Kyra nodded, and then she pulled back slightly. Seth hooked his fingers between her legs. "Could you spread your legs for me?"

Kyra blushed, but did as she was requested, spreading her legs as far as she could. Seth gazed at her small whitish-pink folds and did his best to remember how he'd handled this with May.

"Let's do it this way." Seth cupped Kyra's butt with his hands and brought her close enough so that he could reach between her legs without having to lift his head off of the pillow. Seth took a breath and pressed his lips to Kyra's slit.

To his surprise, she tasted nothing like May. Kyra had more of a gentle flavor, reminiscent of a sour vanilla. Seth's eyes widened and he dragged his tongue across her clit, wanting more. Kyra's blush intensified and she tilted her head back, a pleasured cry escaping her.

Spurred on by Kyra's sounds of pleasure, Seth parted his lips and closed them around her clit, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. Kyra very quickly grew wet from arousal, causing the sour vanilla taste to grow stronger.

Seth gave a muffled gasp as he felt a phantom tingling sensation close around his erect shaft. He realized Kyra was still trying to please him in return, her body was glowing with psychic energy. It became harder for him to focus on what he was doing now that Kyra was gently stroking his shaft with her energy, but he forced himself to keep going, occasionally emitting soft moans into her slit.

Kyra's control over his telekinesis seemed to be improving, as Seth could feel her grip shifting and undulating along his length, stimulating him even better than before. She varied her pace as well, slowing down whenever Seth started to moan louder and more frequently, and speeding up after he quieted down.

As for Seth, he grew brave enough to slide his tongue deep into Kyra. Because of her small size, it didn't take him long for the tip of his tongue to reach her cervix. He made sure not to pressure it too much, instead focusing on gently sliding his tongue around such that the flesh would rub along her clit. Before long, as Seth felt the pressure building up in his loins, he managed to draw out Kyra's orgasm.

Kyra gasped and cooed happily as a rush of her fluids spattered onto Seth's face. He winced a bit and pulled back, chuckling as he wiped her juices off of his face. Yet he couldn't hold back for long himself.

"Ky-Kyra! I'm gonna…" Seth groaned. Just then, Kyra turned around and pressed her lips against the tip of his shaft, enveloping it just in time for him to cum. His shaft throbbed and spurted his seed into her waiting mouth. "Ah! Ah!"

Kyra did her best to catch it all, but she was small, so it was inevitable that some dribbled out around the corners of her mouth. She swallowed as much as she could until Seth was spent, and then she laid down on his chest, looking satisfied.

"That was…I don't think this is going to get old," Seth panted. He wiped away the little streams of cum from Kyra's mouth with his little finger, smiling at her happy expression. "Now, let's clean up and get some rest."

Kyra hummed softly, and then the two of them prepared for bed.

* * *

The next morning, Seth paid a visit to the nearest laundromat to take care of his dirty clothes, and then he took a walk around the outskirts of the city, stopping at a restaurant for breakfast along the way. He planned to visit the beach, but there was no reason he couldn't explore on the way there.

When Seth neared the path out of town that led back to Odale, he noticed the young man he'd met last night, Wally, sitting atop a tall ridge with his legs hanging over the edge. From there, Wally was gazing down at the wild Pokémon milling about in the tall grass below. He wore a sad smile as he watched them.

Seth's curiosity overcame his typically shyness, so he approached Wally and sat down on the cliff beside him. "Watching the wild Pokémon again?" he addressed him casually.

"Waah!" Wally yelped, the poor man almost falling off the ridge in surprise. He blushed deeply after he realized how undignified he looked. He ran a hand through his hair nervously as he looked up at Seth. "Oh, u-um…hello again, Seth."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you," Seth apologized. He looked down at the grassy field, noting the Pokémon there. Some of them he didn't recognize, but they weren't close enough for him to scan with his PokéDex. "Seems like there's a lot to see today."

"Mhm! It's very relaxing," Wally replied, finally recovered from the mild surprise. He pointed out at each of the different Pokémon. "See the Surskit skating across the water? And the Seedot hanging from the trees?"

Seth followed Wally's finger, noticing the spindly legged Surskit easily enough, but he couldn't find any Seedot…until he realized that what he'd thought were acorns were moving on the branches.

"Good eye. I didn't even realize those were Pokémon," Seth complimented him. To Seth's amusement, Wally grew somewhat embarrassed at the compliment, the man scratching at his neck. "Do you mind if I sit and watch them with you?"

"Really? You'd want to?" Wally asked with both surprise and hope in his voice. His eyes drifted to Kyra, who was sitting on Seth's lap. "I'd love that…but, don't you already have a Pokémon?"

"That doesn't mean I don't enjoy nature," Seth responded. His curiosity was becoming more and more pressing, but he didn't want to drive Wally off again. However, he couldn't help but notice how Wally gazed with masked envy at Kyra. In the end, he couldn't resist. "So, why don't you go out there and catch one of them?"

"I want to, but…" Wally didn't try to bolt this time, much to Seth's relief. Yet the subject seemed to trouble him just as much as it did last night. He blushed, and looked down at his hands. "I…I don't know how."

"Oh is that all? It's simple, in theory." Seth took out one of the many unused poké balls from his bag and showed it to Wally. "Supposedly with one of these, you hit the button and throw it at one of them when they're not expecting it."

Wally blinked, perplexed. "Supposedly? Haven't you caught any Pokémon? You must have, because…" His eyes trailed back to Kyra again.

"I haven't actually. Kyra here was given to me," Seth admitted, patting the Ralts on the head affectionately. An idea then came to him. Something about Wally made Seth want to help him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The "Tell you what. How much time do you have?"

"Time? I…well, I don't have to go back home to Verdanturf for another hour or so. Why?" Wally replied curiously.

"Great! Let's go try to catch you a Pokémon," Seth suggested, standing up. Wally stood up as well, the change in his expression occurring immediately.

"R-Really? You'd do that with me?" Wally exclaimed, his face lighting up with a happy smile. Just seeing that managed to lift Seth's spirits as well. He knew that this would likely take a while, but seeing that expression made it all worth it. However, that made it all the more painful when Wally forcefully curbed his own excitement, replacing his smile with a downcast expression. "You don't have to do that. I don't want to trouble you any more than I already have. I'll find a way to manage."

Seth gazed at Wally. He slowly reached out a hand, causing Wally to look at it with confusion. Then, without warning, he pinched Wally lightly on the left ear. Wally yelped and looked back at Seth, his confusion growing.

"You stop that. You said something like that last night, and that only made me more curious about you," Seth remarked with a click of his tongue. "Besides, you looked really happy just now. So let's go catch you a Pokémon."

"But…" Wally attempted to protest.

"No buts! We're doing this," Seth asserted. He briefly grabbed Wally's hand and pulled him along after him as he made his way down the hill towards the grassy field. Wally squeaked at the sudden contact, his blush returning with full force.

"Seth…" Wally emitted softly, but he didn't try to protest anymore. "Thank you."

* * *

The two of them headed to the field below, looking for Pokémon to catch. At first, Seth was content to give Wally his spare poké balls while he scanned the Pokémon he hadn't seen before, but after a short while, he noticed that Wally hadn't made any progress.

Wally appeared to be trying to catch a Taillow that was standing a few meters away from him, staring at him petulantly. Yet, he'd already tried three times, missing the bird each time.

"Let me help," Seth said. He walked up behind Wally and stood closely behind him. Seth pressed his chest up against Wally's back, using his hands to correct the younger man's throwing posture. Wally squeaked and turned about as red as a Wurmple in the process. "It's all in the wrist. If you hold yourself like this, you shouldn't have any trouble hitting your target. Let me show you."

Seth took out another spare poké ball and demonstrated how to properly throw it. Aiming at the Taillow, Seth hurled the ball with a flick of his wrist…only for the bird to avoid the ball by hopping to the left. Seth blinked, staring at the stubborn bird.

"Did it just…" Seth questioned aloud.

"It…It dodged," Wally observed.

"Okay, no," Seth decided. The two of them both took turns throwing poké balls at the Taillow, but it dodged each one of them with little effort. Seth grew increasingly frustrated. "You stupid bird, stand still!"

Eventually, Wally gave up and laughed merrily at how worked up Seth was getting. Finally, the bird stuck its tongue out at them both and took to the skies. Seth growled, but then he saw the pile of poké balls around where the Taillow had been, and realized how stupid he was being. Seth laughed nervously and went to gather them up.

Despite their best efforts, they made no progress towards catching any Pokémon. Wally's spirits were starting to drop as time went on, until he finally started to grow frantic.

Wally faced a Zigzagoon that was nearby, a poké ball clutched tightly in his hand. He waited patiently until the Pokémon wasn't looking, and then he threw the ball at it. To his delight, the ball opened and sucked the Zigzagoon inside in a flash of light. The ball fell to the ground and twitched multiple times, but it was in vain. The Zigzagoon burst free after a few seconds. It growled at Wally and then dashed into a nearby thicket.

"Why is this happening?" Wally cried out sadly. "I didn't think it would be this difficult just to catch one Pokémon…"

"Neither did I. The books always make it sound so easy; just throw a poké ball at the thing and hope it sticks. Yet it isn't sticking," Seth admitted. "How much time do you have left?"

"I already got the call from my family. I should have left by now," Wally admitted. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he gazed at the empty field where Pokémon had once been. "This isn't fair. I just wanted one Pokémon to take back with me so I wouldn't be lonely…"

"You're lonely in Verdanturf?" Seth asked curiously. Wally nodded sadly.

"I'm…I'm shy, so I don't have any friends there," Wally admitted. "My family is often busy, so I'm usually alone. It's just…this time, I hoped I could find a friendly Pokémon to bring with me, so we could do all sorts of things together. I guess that was too much to ask for."

"Hey," Seth said to him, but the words to cheer Wally up didn't come to him. Seth's spirits fell as well, realizing that he'd failed in helping Wally get himself a Pokémon. He stood in front of Wally and placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Suddenly, he froze. "Wally…"

"W-What is it?" Wally asked nervously, recognizing the sudden change in Seth's tone. He noticed Seth was staring over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

"Turn around, slowly. Don't make any sudden moves," Seth directed him in a low whisper. Wally looked frightened, but he did as he was told. His gasped softly at what he saw.

A lone Ralts stood just in front of a patch of tall grass, its head tilted to one side. It was a little taller and bulkier than Kyra was, suggesting that it was of the male variety. Despite that, Kyra didn't appear to show any interest towards him. The Ralts stepped closer when Seth backed away, suggesting he had an interest in Wally.

"Hey there, little guy," Wally called out to the Ralts softly, his former despair dissipated like mist in the sunlight in the wake of this new occurrence. Wally knelt down and held out a hand to the Ralts.

The Ralts approached one slow step at a time, making high pitched purrs as he did so. Eventually he was close enough that Wally gingerly tried to stroke his hair. To his surprise, the Ralts allowed him, closing his eyes and humming softly in response.

"Aren't you just the cutest thing? Yes you are," Wally cooed softly to it, his lips curving into a happy smile at the way the Ralts nestled his head against the hand. "Do you want to be my friend?"

The Ralts made another hum, as though agreeing. Wally tentatively took out a poké ball and pressed the button against the Ralts' head. The ball opened with a flash, and the Ralts was gone. Wally managed to catch the ball before it fell. Surprisingly, the ball didn't twitch at all, and instead sealed shut with a click.

Wally gazed in a disbelieving silence at the unmoving ball, and then he stood up with a cry, pressing the ball against his cheek. "I…I did it! I can't believe it!" Wally exulted ecstatically, practically dancing around with joy. He turned to Seth, showing him the happiest expression he'd ever seen him wear. "Seth, I have a Pokémon! A Pokémon of my very own!"

"Congratulations Wally. Though I have to say, I didn't expect it to be a Ralts like mine," Seth remarked, feeling relieved. "I'm an awful teacher. Looks like in the end, you didn't need me after all."

"Th-That's not true! Without you, I'd never have come down here in the first place!" Wally protested. He reached forward and grasped Seth's hands, gazing up at him with shining eyes. "I have a Pokémon thanks to you. You're…you're…"

"I-I'm what?" Seth stammered a bit, blushing at the way the two of them were clasping each other's hands. Wally blushed as well, his eyes turning hopeful.

"Can…Can I call you my f-friend?" Wally asked shyly. At Seth's surprised look, he hastily tried to correct himself. "Wait, is that not how I should ask? Am I asking too soon? Oh, I'm not good at this…"

It finally came to Seth why he went to all this extra effort for someone he hardly knew. It was because he found Wally cute. He was utterly, hopelessly cute. Seth wasn't sure it was right for him to think something like that about another man, but he just couldn't help himself.

"You're fine, Wally. Yes, I think it's alright to say that we're friends," Seth assured him. Wally smiled brightly in response.

"Yes! I'm sure we'll be great friends!" Wally exclaimed cheerfully. He then realized that he was still holding onto Seth's hands. His face suffused with pink, and he quickly withdrew his hands. "But…now I have to go back to Verdanturf. I've already kept my family waiting longer than I should have."

"I understand. I won't keep you," Seth said with a nod.

"Um…will you come visit me if you ever end up in Verdanturf?" Wally asked hopefully. Seth didn't know where Verdanturf was on the map, but he knew he would eventually end up in the area, because it was his goal to explore all of Hoenn.

"You can count on it. Even if I didn't do much, I still had fun today with you," Seth promised.

"R-Really? I'm so glad!" Wally emitted happily, closing his eyes briefly. Unfortunately, it was time for him to go, and as such he started to move away from Seth. "I really have to get going now. But I'm really happy I met you!"

Seth watched him go, placing his hands in his pockets. Once he was gone, Seth sighed, turning back towards the town as well. "Yeah…I'm really happy I met you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaah! I had so much fun writing this chapter! I think some of you had noticed through my messages, but I adore Wally to bits. He is just the absolute cutest thing to ever exist in pokemon. I was taken with him the moment I met him in the game. He was just so shy and so kind and... *we apologize as the author proceeds to take a moment to fangirl squeal*
> 
> That aside, I should probably warn the readers who aren't into boy love that there is going to be some (I think this chapter made that totally obvious). Wally is absolutely my favorite of the characters in this game, so I just can't abstain from including some fun with him.
> 
> Moving on, Norman came rather easily to me for some reason. I found this picture on the internet of a very attractive version of him standing beside a Rayquaza, so ever since then, I've pictured him like that (and not derpy like pretty much everyone seems to look in the anime). I can't wait until I write that gym battle.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading this far! Now then, the next chapter will include the next pokemon to join Seth's team! Look forward to it!


	6. Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before departing from Petalburg, Seth comes across a group of fishermen, who help him catch his next pokemon...

With Wally's departure, there was nothing else keeping Seth in town, so he gathered his belongings and prepared to head west. Looking at the map revealed that the distance between the cities of Petalburg and Rustboro was another thirty miles as the Murkrow flew. Unlike the route between the towns of Littleroot and Odale, this route wasn't a straight shot, as it required walking along the coast and heading north through the Petalburg Woods.

Seth reasoned that he wouldn't always be able to find hotels to stay in before night fell, so he made the decision to purchase a small tent that would be large enough for both him and Kyra. When collapsed, the tent fit inside a cylindrical shaped bag that he could sling over his shoulder. In total, the tent and bag weighed about six pounds, which was easily manageable for someone with Seth's body type.

With a tent now in his possession, Seth set out to the west, assured that he could now refrain from rushing hotel to hotel, and truly take his time. He didn't get very far before he reached the Petalburg beach, where he made his first stop of the day.

"Would you look at that?" Seth breathed, stepping to the top of a rocky ridge. From here, he could see the vast blue ocean stretching out to the horizon, the view broken only by the looming forms of islands in the distance. Seth looked over to his shoulder, where Kyra currently sat. "So, shall we spend some time at the beach?"

Kyra responded with a happy chirp, which was all Seth needed to hear. With an anticipatory laugh, he leapt down from the ridge onto the loose ground below, from which sparse patches of grass grew haphazardly. He broke into a jog, the ground growing looser as he approached the beach proper.

The beach was alive with Pokémon and people, both tourists and residents of Petalburg. Multicolored umbrellas dotted the sandy beach every which way Seth looked, and the people could be seen stretched out beneath them or playing in the surf. Occasionally, Seth could see two trainers engaged in a battle on the shore. The sound of laughter, Pokémon cries, and crashing waves filled the air, providing a calming influence to Seth as he took a walk along the shore.

Near the lifeguard stand, Seth noticed a board containing a list of rules for the beach. According to what he read, the beach was split into two sections depending on age. Families with children below the legal age of consent were recommended to stay in the primary beach where Seth currently stood, where swimwear was required at all times.

Conversely, the second beach was clothing optional and only had a few rules concerning safety. Seth noted with some interest that the rules explicitly requested that all 'intercourse' remain in this area. Seth turned slightly pink as he unwillingly imagined what might happen in that secondary beach.

"I think we'll stick with the families for now. It would be too embarrassing to see people I don't know having sex," Seth decided. Kyra agreed with a soft hum, her arms clinging to him possessively. With that decided, Seth removed his shirt and joined the throng of people enjoying the midday warmth.

Despite himself, Seth couldn't help but notice the large amount of eye candy the beach had to offer. Girls dressed in two piece swimsuits lay on their towels or ran through the surf, their skin glittering with moisture. More than once Seth caught himself watching as a particularly attractive girl ran across his path, her breasts bouncing and her swimsuit clinging to the crease of her butt. He realized what he was doing and shook his head.

"You and May have turned me into a pervert," Seth commented to Kyra under his breath. Kyra's only response was to blow a quiet raspberry in his ear, causing him to laugh despite himself. "You little deviant, you."

Seth came across a small boardwalk consisting of a wharf, a boathouse, and multiple stalls from which refreshments could be purchased. In addition, there was one small house connected to the boathouse. After climbing the stairs onto the boardwalk, Seth walked along the wharf, noticing everything from skiffs to yachts moored to the docks. He watched as a group of young men laughed amongst themselves and climbed aboard their boat, no doubt preparing for a day out on the waves.

He paused when he heard the sound of cheering coming from ahead. Curious, Seth peered towards the end of one of the docks, where a group of three people were gathered. All of them wore a set of loose, uniquely-made black clothes adorned with unfamiliar symbols, suggesting they all came from the same place. One of them, a slender young man with untidy black hair, was holding a fishing pole in one hand, from which an impressively large Magikarp dangled. One of the man's friends was patting the fisherman on the back and congratulating him on his catch.

"Unfortunately, no matter the size, Magikarp such as this prove to be a most unsatisfactory meal," the last of the men reported in a rather stiff tone, adjusting his glasses. "Nevertheless, a fine catch, Connie."

Seth had to agree. That was a very large fish; three feet was over half his height. He couldn't imagine the amount of effort it must have taken to pull that fish out of the water. It seemed this Connie was a talented fisher.

"I wasn't fishing for something to eat, Gin," the fisherman commented with a wry smile. He turned back towards the dock, lowering the fish back towards the water. "Just having a bit of fun."

"Wait, hold on! Don't put it back yet," another man, this one blonde and wearing a loose t-shirt, objected. He produced an expensive looking camera. "Let me get a shot of this one! I swear this one's record size!"

Gin shook his head slowly. "Tom, the largest recorded Magikarp is roughly three foot six. This one, while impressive, is but three feet at most."

"Who cares? Don't kill the moment, Gin. Connie, come on, hold it up!" Tom insisted, pointing the camera towards him persistently.

"Alright, I'm doing it," Connie relented. He put on a proud expression and lifted up the fish just long enough for Tom to snap a picture. "Is that good? Can I put the poor thing back now?"

"Yeah! Love the lighting on this one!" Tom expressed happily. Connie shook his head, and then he gingerly removed the hook from the Magikarp's mouth and released the fish back into the sea, where it slipped back beneath the waves and disappeared. "See if you can't catch something rarer!"

"Exactly what I was thinking," Connie agreed. "There has to be something more than Magikarp in this area."

Seth smiled at their enthusiasm. He wondered if he should try his hand at fishing as well, as it was an activity he'd seen plenty of times at his previous home in Olivine. HE quickly dismissed that thought. He didn't know how, and he wasn't about to intrude on the three of them.

Kyra let out a cry of alarm moments before a heavy hand fell on Seth's shoulders, causing him to jump. Seth turned his head to see a tall, burly man with scruffy black hair smiling down at him. He wore a similar style of clothing to the three at the dock, and held a box of tackle in his free hand.

"You gonna go come introduce yourself, or you just gonna keep staring like a lost Poochyena?" the larger man quipped good-naturedly. Seth froze, unsure how to respond to the man.

"That's…I wasn't…I mean…" Seth stammered, embarrassed that he'd been caught observing. He didn't think it would be a problem if he'd only looked for a brief moment.

The burly man laughed at Seth's reaction. "It's fine; the only things that bite around here are the fish." He gave Seth a light shove towards the other three, the latter stumbling in an attempt to keep his balance. The man was as strong as he looked. "Hey, Connie. I'm back with the tackle you wanted."

Connie paused just before slinging out his line again and turned back to view the new arrival. He nodded appreciatively at the man's words, and then he noticed Seth. "Seems like you came back with more than just tackle. Who's your friend, Douglas?"

Kyra seemed to have relaxed, suggesting to Seth that she didn't think he was in any danger. Seeing that, Seth pulled himself together and did his best to be polite. "H-Hey. I'm Seth; I was just passing by and saw your catch. That was the largest Magikarp I've ever seen," Seth addressed Connie before Douglas could speak for him.

"Right?! That's what I said!" Tom agreed wholeheartedly. He stepped forward and grabbed Seth's hand, shaking it vigorously. "I'm Tom! Great to meet you, Seth!"

"It wasn't anything special," Connie modestly replied, though he did adopt a small smile at the compliment. "My name is Connie, by the way. That lummox behind you is Douglas, and this is Gin."

Upon being introduced, Douglas simply grins and returns a quip to Connie, while Gin simply gives a terse nod. Seth put on a polite smile and exchanged pleasantries with the group of people. Connie then notes the presence of Kyra on Seth's shoulders.

"I'm curious. It seems like psychic types are more your style, but…on the off chance, are you interested in fishing, Seth?" Connie asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Well, to be honest, this is my first and only Pokémon," Seth admitted in response to Connie's first statement. "As for fishing…well, I've never had a chance to learn, but it looks fun."

"'It looks fun.' Here we go," Douglas.

"Indeed," Gin agrees, the stiff man taking out a pocket-sized cookbook and flipping through it. "Perhaps we'd best get comfortable."

"Knock it off, you two," Connie snaps at them, but judging from Douglas's booming laugh and Tom's snickers, Seth assumed they were just bantering with one another. Seth wondered how long these four had known one another. Connie turned his gaze back to Seth, beckoning to him. "Well, if you have the time, I could show you how."

"Well, I'm in no hurry, but you're sure that's okay?" Seth replied hesitantly.

"Yeah, of course. It's…nice to meet someone with an interest in my hobby," Connie assured him with a light shrug. "Come up here with me on the pier, and I'll teach you how to cast the line."

"I suppose we do have time until our boat arrives," Gin recalls. He adopts the tiniest of smiles. "Douglas, perhaps we'd best leave them to it."

"Not a bad idea. I know a great place nearby that sells the tastiest cup noodles," Douglas exults, and then the two of them start to leave the pier. "Coming, Tom?"

"No thanks! I'm getting shots of this! Connie getting to teach someone? Totally photogenic!" Tom answers, his camera already up and pointed at Connie and Seth. "Bring me back a cup, would you?"

"Just make sure to turn the flash off," Connie remarked wryly to Tom. He then turned back to Seth, who had been standing there awkwardly. He passed the fishing rod to Seth, who grasped it with his right hand. "Let me show you how to hold it. Are you right handed?"

Seth nodded. Connie then physically adjusted Seth's grip on the rod, his hands soft and warm. "There. It's simpler than it seems. I'm going to move your body through the motions, if that's alright," Connie stated. When Seth gave his permission, Connie stepped behind him and used his hands to guide Seth into the right posture.

Seth at first found it difficult to focus, with Connie standing so close to him. The tips of Connie's hair brushing against his shoulders, and he could feel his breath tickling against his neck. "Relax. If there's tension in your arms, you're more likely to mess up," Connie assured him. "Now, from here, all you need to do is lift the rod and let it flex."

With Connie's help, Seth managed to cast the line into the water after a few tries. "There we go! Now just sit down, and we'll wait and see what you get," Connie instructed him. Seth did as he was told, and soon the two of them sat at the edge of the pier, their legs dangling just above the sparkling water. "Make sure to bob the line a bit to entice the fish. It can take a while, so just be patient."

For a time there was silence, interrupted only by the breaking waves and the occasional clicking of Tom's camera. After a while, Connie made small talk with Seth, discussing their own experiences with fishing. Tom sometimes chimed in as well, mostly to confirm or elaborate on Connie's stories.

"I kid you not, Connie sat on that rock wrestling with the illustrious 'Devil of the Sea' for three straight hours!" Tom exclaimed, enunciating his story with wild waves of his arms. "I'd have just given up, but not Connie! He never backs down from a challenge!"

"Not when it comes to fishing at least," Connie responded, looking a little sheepish at Tom's gushing praise. "Mostly it was to shut Douglas up. He insisted that I couldn't do it."

"Heh. You four have been friends for a while, I'm guessing?" Seth asked curiously. When he nodded, Seth sighed. "I'm envious. I left my only friend back in…eeh?"

In the middle of Seth's statement, the rod jerked violently in his hand, and the line went taut with such force that he was forced upright. Seth cried out and nearly fell off the pier, but Connie managed to wrap both his arms around Seth's chest just in time to keep him from going over. Connie nearly unbalanced as well, so Tom moved in to help.

"What kind of fish is this!?" Connie exclaimed as the three of them struggled to counteract the intense pull from the line. Eventually, Seth managed to hold his ground, but he felt as though the end of the line was attached to the bumper of a car. Seth thought he should reel in, but Connie stopped him. "Don't reel in! You'll break the line!"

"Then how do I pull the fish in?" Seth demanded. His voice was raised from exertion and stress as he struggled to keep from falling into the ocean. His arms ached with the effort, his shoes scraping against the wooden dock roughly.

"Just hold on, and keep the line from going slack!" Connie directed him. "Feel the direction of the fish, and turn your rod in the same direction. If the line breaks, it's over. Forgive me, but I really want to see what this monster is!"

"You're not the only one. I'm getting this on film!" Tom exclaimed, his finger already pressed against the shutter.

Connie and Seth worked together to battle the unknown fish, their hands both clenched around the handle of the rod. It took all of their collective strength to fight the pull, making Seth more and more curious what kind of beast lay at the other end of the line.

"Huh? What's all this about?" Douglas and Gin returned in the middle of their battle. Douglas grinned when he saw the two of them struggling. "Looks like you're having fun. What, did you snag a Whiscash or something?"

"That would be interesting. I've yet to experiment with a fish of that variety," Gin commented, flipping through his cookbook once more. Yet, upon noticing just how little progress the two were making, Gin started to take an interest. "Hm. You seem to be having a tough time."

"Try pulling harder," Douglas unhelpfully suggested, causing both Connie and Seth to scoff. "Just try doing the opposite of what you're doing right now."

"Do you want to try pulling this thing in!?" Connie retorted, a sentiment that Seth could only agree with. "Sheesh, talk about backseat fishing."

Seth's arms burned from the constant exertion. It was only because of Connie's presence that he didn't let go and give his muscles some relief. Their efforts slowly began to pay off, as the fish's struggles gradually grew weaker.

"Seth, when we pull this thing to the surface, catch it!" Connie commanded. "You've got Poké Balls on you, right?"

"Yeah but…why would I catch it? Why not…ghh….sling it out of the water like you did before?" Seth questioned, not liking the idea of catching some random fish.

"I would usually, but…you're feeling this, right? Must be one hell of a fish to push us to this point. Might be worth training," Connie grunted.

"Then why don't you catch it?" Seth protested.

"Because it's your first fish! Besides, I think I have enough fish Pokémon," Connie returned. Just then, there was a noticeable drop in the amount of force exerted on the rod. Connie immediately started to reel. "Get ready, Seth!"

Seth cursed beneath his breath and reluctantly retrieved an empty Poké Ball from his bag. He believed that Kyra was all he needed, so he wasn't keen on the idea of owning some fish, even if it was strong. Nevertheless, when the mottled shape of a large fish loomed just below the surface, Seth drew back his arm and hurled the ball with all of his strength.

The ball hit its mark and captured the fish with a bright flash. Even as the fish struggled inside the ball, it fell back down towards the water. It would have been lost if Connie hadn't appeared in the water in a burst of speed so fast that Seth couldn't follow it with his eyes. Connie dipped below the water's surface for a brief moment, and then he emerged with a broad grin on his face, the Poké Ball clenched in his fist.

"That's it! Got it!" Connie exclaimed. Douglas and Tom cheered and congratulated the two of them as their friend climbed back onto the pier, his clothes soaked and dripping. He passed the ball back to Seth, who took it quietly, still wishing that he'd have just let the fish go. "Nice throw, Seth! Now let it out so we can see what all that effort was for."

Seth suppressed a sigh. He resigned himself to the fact that he now had a fish Pokémon, whether he liked it or not. That aside, he didn't want to disappoint the three hopeful faces gazing at him expectantly, so he released the fish onto the dock.

A large fish of about two feet emerged from the ball and floated gently in the air just above the surface of the dock. Tom whistled and snapped a picture, but Douglas seemed less than impressed.

"A Feebas!? All of that for just a Feebas?! Talk about a disappointment," Douglas grumbled. "Release that thing back into the water, Seth. Feebas are stupid and weak; nobody worth their salt trains one of these."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Seth grunted. However, Connie stopped him.

"Hold on a second. Does this look like an ordinary Feebas to you?" Connie pointed out. Seth turned to look at the fish, and even he was somewhat awed at what he was looking at.

The fish was a smooth oval shape, and it possessed light brown scales so fine that Seth found it hard to even see them. Its body shimmered with a gentle rainbow of colors that seemed to constantly shift in location and intensity. Its pectoral, tail, and dorsal fins were a vibrant cerulean. Its pinprick ruby eyes were set deep into either side of its head, and its lips were a thin, gentle pink.

"It's…rather pretty," Seth had to admit.

"A pretty Feebas is as contradictory as you can get. That's just common knowledge," Douglas pointed out with his arms crossed. Yet even he was gazing at the fish with interest. "So…what makes this one so different?"

"Perhaps we should ask Connie. He is the local expert on marine life, if you recall," Gin suggested. He adjusted his glasses and turned to the aforementioned fisherman. "Connie?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Feebas usually have brown spots, and I've never seen one with this kind of coloration. Not to mention, it's a lot stronger than any Feebas I've ever caught before."" Connie admits with a shrug. He steps closer to the fish, inspecting it closely. He then looks at Seth. "Well, she's yours now. I wish I could claim her myself, but you are the one who snagged her, even if I helped."

Seth realized that Connie must have identified the gender of the fish. That made things easier for him. He retrieved his Pokédex and scanned the Feebas, discovering that Douglas and Connie were correct. Feebas were described as being weak, stupid, and ugly…the complete opposite of the fish that hovered before him. However, there was still one thing that bothered him.

"I wouldn't have caught her without you though. Also, how did you get to the ball that fast? One moment you were holding the rod with me, and the next you were in the water," Seth questioned. Connie suddenly appeared uncomfortable, and all of his friends turned to look at him with pointed stares.

"What can I say? I was pumped up with adrenaline, and I wasn't about to lose that fish," Connie supplied rather unconvincingly, the man laughing nervously. Seth guessed that he was hiding something, but he dismissed it; whatever it was, it wasn't his business. "Anyway, try training this Feebas. It might be worth your time. For all we know, she could evolve into something strong."

"That would be the day. Pretty or not, a Feebas is still a Feebas," Douglas remarks rudely. Surprisingly, the fish seemed to show some intelligence, as one eye turned to Douglas in response to his insulting words. "Seth, please put that thing back in the ball. It's looking at me."

The Feebas turned her body slowly towards Seth until she could look at him with one soulful eye. She seemed to recognize that Seth was her owner now, and as such she didn't resist when Seth recalled her to her ball.

"Alright! Not bad for your first catch! I wish I could have taught you to reel it in on your own, but that fish was way more than a beginner could handle," Connie commented. "I'm glad you showed up. That was a lot of fun."

"Me too. Not sure if that fish will amount to anything, but it was a little fun getting it up here," Seth admitted. He was telling the truth; despite the unwanted presence in his team, Seth had experienced something new and interesting, and that made it worth it. However…Seth's stomach growled a bit, reminding him that it was now close to lunch time. "I think I better go and get something to eat."

"No need. I got you covered," Douglas revealed, holding up a white plastic bag. He grabbed something from within and hurled it at Seth. "Think fast."

The object hit Seth in the chest before he realized what was happening, but he was able to clasp his hands around it just in time to keep it from falling. He looked down to see a warm cup full of noodles. Just like him, Douglas passed similar cups to Connie, Gin, and Tom, keeping one for himself.

"You got one for me too? Thanks, but…you didn't need to do that," Seth said gratefully. "I could have paid for myself."

"Ah, don't start with that," Douglas said back without missing a beat. "Just eat your cup noodles, kid."

"What's this? Douglas knows how to be nice?" Connie quipped while he toweled himself off with a towel he received from Gin. "Tom, get a picture before he starts looking grumpy again."

"Yeah sure. Do that, and next time I'll make sure there's beans in your noodles," Douglas returned. Seth had to suppress a laugh at the look of utter disgust that crossed Connie's face. "Gin, any word on our ride?"

"About twenty minutes at the most. We'd best leave as soon as he arrives; we wouldn't want to keep Miss Yula waiting," Gin answered promptly. "If you've any last minute arrangements to make, now's the time."

"Are you all going somewhere?" Seth asked, having heard them mentioning the boat earlier. Connie paused at the question, flushing ever so slightly. Douglas wrapped an arm around Connie's shoulders in a brotherly manner, annoying the smaller man.

"Yeah, our Connie's getting married. We're off to attend the ceremony," Douglas explained, easily weathering Connie's attempts to wriggle free. "Can't exactly be late for your own wedding!"

"Knock it off!" Connie finally managed to duck beneath Douglas's arm and put some distance between them.

"Congratulations then, I guess?" Seth offered, smiling after watching their interaction.

"Yeah…it's not a big deal though," Connie played it off, despite the blush present on his face. Seth nodded and went to open his cup, deciding not to pry any further. They were still technically strangers to him.

Seth had just begun eating when Tom suddenly sidled up beside him. "Oh yeah! Before we go, Seth, do you have a PokéNav?" he questioned excitedly.

"I don't know what that is," Seth admitted.

"It's like, the newest advancement in mobile phone technology!" Tom explained. "If I wanted to send you the pictures I've taken, you'd need one. You should stop by Rustboro City and see if you can't pick one up!"

"That is where I'm headed next. We'll see what my money situation looks like by the time I get there," Seth answered. He glanced at his bag where his wallet was located. He had enough money to cover living expenses for quite some time, but he wasn't sure the latest technology could fit in his budget.

"Aw, okay. Tell you what, if you have a phone number, give me that, and you can call me when you get one," Tom suggests as an alternative. Seth saw no problem with that, so he pulled out his phone from his pocket. He realized with painful hindsight that if he had fallen in the water, his phone would have been ruined.

"Make it quick. I believe that's our ride," Gin alerts the group, indicating an approaching boat on the horizon. It seemed Seth's time with these four was up.

After exchanging numbers with Tom, Seth at last had to bid farewell to the four. Their ride, as it turned out, was a fancy yacht driven by a crotchety old man and his scantily clad daughter. Before long, the four were speeding away, leaving Seth back on his own once again, left with nothing but a fish by which to remember them.

"That was a rather entertaining diversion," Seth commented to Kyra, who had been quiet the duration of his fishing experience. "I'm sorry; I know we could have been halfway to Rustboro by now."

Kyra answered by churring softly in his ear and snuggling into the crook of his neck. Seth chuckled and reached up to stroke her hair. Eventually he had to address the problem that was bugging him.

"Also, we apparently have a Feebas now. I mean I guess it's pretty, but what am I supposed to do with a fish?" Seth commented, at a loss. He gazed at Feebas's Poké Ball with a pensive expression. Kyra of course had no answer to give him. "Of course I'll take care of it. For better or worse, it's mine now. I don't know how well it can battle, though."

Kyra couldn't answer, so Seth sighed and replaced the ball at his belt, realizing that he had to make the decision on how to handle the fish on his own. Setting aside those thoughts for later, he looked up at the sky and determined that he had around five hours before nightfall. He shrugged and began the long trek north, glad that he'd thought to buy a tent.

From the beach, it was only a few miles until Seth became able to see the forest ahead. While every trail he'd passed through so far had been swathed with trees, this forest was thick and dark enough to have earned its own official name: The Petalburg Woods.

So excited was he to explore the woods that he ran right into the path of another trainer, who immediately challenged him to a battle. The trainer only had a single Zigzagoon with him, which Kyra was more than capable of handling. Therefore, Seth decided to try using the Feebas he'd captured in battle.

"Hold on, Kyra. Time to see what this fish can do," Seth decided, holding the Ralts back before she could step forward to face the Zigzagoon. Kyra looked disappointed, but she seemed to understand his intentions. Seth hesitantly removed the Poké Ball from his belt and released the Feebas into the grassy area ahead of him.

"What is that abomination? A Feebas? Surely you can't be serious," the other trainer, a young man named Winston, commented upon seeing the pretty fish hovering in the air. "Exactly what do you think a worthless fish like that can do?"

"I don't actually know," Seth admitted, much to Winston's surprise. "That's what I'm trying to find out. Feebas, show me what you can do!"

Seth watched with baited breath as Winston's Zigzagoon rushed forward, zigzagging across the grass towards them. Just like he did with Kyra, Seth noted Zigzagoon's movements and alerted Feebas to its estimated attack direction.

Even though the Feebas acknowledged him with a slight wave of a fin, she did nothing to dodge the Zigzagoon at all, taking the attack directly on her left side. The Feebas listed to the right from the impact, and then proceeded to slap the Zigzagoon with her tail fin. It did about as damage as one would expect from such a flimsy appendage.

"You call that an attack? I'm telling you; use your Ralts. It's the only way you have a chance," Winston advised him. With a gesture, he commanded the Zigzagoon to press the attack. Just like before, the Feebas didn't attempt to dodge any of the attacks. The Zigzagoon attacked from multiple directions, zipping back and forth and raking its claws down the fish's scaly side each time. "Don't feel bad. You just didn't know how utterly worthless that fish is."

Seth sighed and rubbed his forehead at what he was seeing. The fact that Feebas didn't seem to be showing any signs of injury apart from minor scratches was notably impressive, but her counterattacks were laughably weak.

Then, the Zigzagoon launched another assault. This time, the Feebas turned and slammed her whole body against the Zigzagoon directly opposite to its momentum, causing both Seth and Winston to do a double take.

The result was akin to leaping headfirst into a brick wall. The Zigzagoon yelped and hurtled back towards Winston, its body colliding roughly with the ground and rolling several times before it righted itself.

"Did that…really just happen?" Winston emitted as the dust settled, matching Seth's thoughts exactly. It was almost as though the Feebas had been deliberately taking those attacks in order to analyze Zigzagoon's attack pattern for itself. "Right…Zigzagoon, don't underestimate it again. Look before you attack, and don't let it counter you like that."

"Alright, that's enough, Feebas. Good job," Seth decided, retrieving the Poké Ball once more. He was impressed, but from here it was clear that Winston would adapt. He recalled the fish to her ball and allowed Kyra to take the field. "You know what to do, Kyra."

Winston smirked as he noticed the change of Pokémon. "Finally taking out the Ralts, huh? Good, bring your best, and I'll take you down one by…"

Kyra's eyes narrowed, and a small smile played across her lips.

Seth bounced the small bundle of cash up and down in one hand, pleased at his relatively easy victory. Kyra too was in high spirits, the Ralts trilling softly on his shoulder. Just like May had said, dealing with the average trainer was rather easy for him. He found that they all seemed to rely on a single trick, and couldn't adapt when he inevitably figured it out.

"That Feebas is rather tough," Seth admitted to Kyra as he approached the entrance to the woods. Kyra gave Seth an askance look, suggesting that she didn't agree. Seth amended his statement. "At least it can take a hit. Though I think that against anything larger than a Zigzagoon, that trick it pulled won't work."

Kyra nodded, seeming to find that more reasonable. "Still, it was cool at the time. In the end, I probably won't use it in battle, but I wouldn't call it worthless," Seth reasoned. He turned his gaze forward to look at the shaded entrance to the Petalburg woods. Recognizing that it would be difficult to tell his direction once inside, he withdrew a small compass. "That aside, let's see what there is to see in the woods."

With that, Seth adjusted his bags and stepped into the woods, a smile lighting up his face. The temperature noticeably dropped as shadows engulfed him, causing him to shudder involuntarily. It was significantly darker beneath the canopy; only trickles of sunlight made it down through the thick leaves and branches to light up the underbrush.

It wasn't long before he started to see the signs of Pokémon. He recognized the Wurmples crawling through the underbrush, but there were still others that he'd never seen before. He noticed with interest that multiple silky cocoons hung from the tree branches. He watched with awe as one of them cracked open to reveal a gorgeous Pokémon with delicate gossamer wings. According to his Pokédex, it was a Beautifly.

Seth couldn't help feeling giddy as he scanned every new Pokémon he saw. This was for what he lived; exploring remote areas and making new discoveries. It didn't matter that they were common knowledge to the inhabitants of this region; they were new to him, and that was enough to make the experience wondrous.

He noticed a small gray insect scuttling towards a tiny hole in the ground beneath the roots of a tree. He managed to scan it just in time, discovering that it was a Nincada, a unique Pokémon that rarely emerged above ground. On his shoulder, Kyra was beside herself with joy as she felt the constant flow of happiness emanating from him.

Seth wasn't alone, of course. There were trainers scattered throughout the forest, but the few that challenged him weren't a match for Kyra, as they used primarily bug types. However, he soon encountered someone who clearly wasn't a trainer.

"Is that…? No, that's another Wurmple." Seth spotted a man who looked to be in his late thirties squatting down by the end of the path, peering into the brush. His hair was cut short and groomed, and a set of glasses rested on his nose. He was dressed in business casual attire, consisting of khaki pants and an ironed dress shirt. Lastly, a clipboard was clutched in one hand.

"Are you looking for something?" Seth addressed him. The man was in his path, so he felt as though he should at least say something.

"Hm? Oh, pardon me, I didn't notice you." The man stood and gave Seth a polite smile. "Indeed I am. Have you seen a Pokémon called 'Shroomish' around here? I can't find any for the life of me."

"I haven't, sorry. I've never even heard of one of those. What does it look like?" Seth responded. He looked down at the man's belt and noticed a few Poké Balls there. This served to make him curious as to what the man intended to do if he did find a Shroomish.

"It looks like a plump mushroom about a foot tall," the man described, using his hands to give a visual representation of its shape. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but I just haven't been having any luck at all."

"It's no trouble. I wouldn't mind seeing one for myself either," Seth decided. The man smiled gratefully, and then Seth hunched down on the other side of the path, peering through the foliage for any sign of unfamiliar Pokémon. "Why are you looking for a Shroomish? Are you hoping to catch it?"

"Yes, but not for the reasons you think. I'm Hester, a field scientist with the Devon Corporation," the man introduced himself. Seth didn't recognize the name, but judging from the man's proud tone, it must be a rather big name in Hoenn "Shroomish have the tendency to emit paralytic spores when disturbed, so I'm hoping to get a sample to further ease my studies into paralysis. With luck, I'm hoping to improve the cure for paralysis."

"That's rather interesting. I'm Seth, by the way." Seth returned the introduction with one of his own. "Do you mean paralysis for humans or for Pokémon?"

"With luck, both. For now, I'm setting my sights small; I hope to create a countermeasure for the intense pain humans feel if they accidentally inhale a Shroomish's spores," Hester answers. Seth could tell from his enthusiasm that the scientist was very passionate about his work. "Help me find a Shroomish and I'll see if I can't get you a free sample once it's compl…aaah!"

Seth turned rapidly at Hester's cry, unspoken orders for Kyra rushing to his lips. However, he stopped when he saw a sheepish Hester pulling sticky silk off of his face. "Bloody Wurmples…how was I supposed to know that was a den?" Hester grumbled. Seth couldn't help but laugh.

After a few minutes of searching, Seth noticed an odd lump in the underbrush. He squinted, unsure if he was looking at a Pokémon or a misshapen pile of leaves. Nearby, a Wurmple crawled through the brush, slowly making its way towards the lump. Just as the worm reached the lump, it controrted and released a cloud of spores into the air, causing the Wurmple to keel over, paralyzed.

"Aha!" Seth emitted, and then he immediately threw a Poké Ball at the lump, determining that it was the Pokémon for which they were looking. The ball opened and captured the lump in a flash of light before it fell to the ground and twitched. If Seth caught it, he figured that he could just give it to Hester.

Unfortunately, the Pokémon had other ideas. It struggled so hard that it was able to burst free from the ball. When it emerged, Seth had enough time to glimpse a mottled pink shape before it bolted past him.

Seth immediately took off after it in pursuit, Kyra clinging to his neck tightly in order to keep from falling off. "Hester! Look out, it's coming your way!" Seth alerted the scientist.

"Huh? What is…?" Hester turned, confused by Seth's sudden shout. However, when he spotted the Pokémon bolting towards him, his face lit up. "Ah, a Shroomish!"

Hester lunged towards the Shroomish, a Poké Ball hurtling from his open palm. The Pokémon swerved and avoided it just in time. It tried to move past the scientist, but Hester wouldn't let it, so it turned and bolted back the other direction.

"Seth, it's headed back towards you! Catch it!" Hester called.

"You're not getting away! Kyra, block its retreat!" Seth allowed Kyra to leap off of his shoulders and force the Shroomish to avoid her, running back towards him. Without realizing it, the Shroomish had maneuvered itself directly between Seth and Hester. Seth produced another Poké Ball. "It has nowhere to run! Let's get it!"

"I'm on it!" Hester grabbed a Poké Ball as well, and the two of them threw them at the same time. The Shroomish was fast, but it wouldn't be able to avoid both of them easily. The Shroomish proved elusive indeed, as it ducked beneath both balls, digging its feet into the ground. Unfortunately for the Shroomish, Seth and Hester had anticipated this, and were already about to throw another set of Poké Balls.

Before any of them could do so, something colored a sickly purple whizzed through the air and burst upon the Shroomish's body, splattering the ground with droplets of a vile smelling liquid. The force behind the projectile enough to cause the Shroomish to keel over, the Pokémon falling to the ground. It did not move again. At first, Seth couldn't figure out what had happened. From his perspective, all he had seen was a violet burst of liquid. However, Kyra's frantic cries alerted Seth to a third presence in the clearing.

"I'm sorry, were you trying to catch that?" the new arrival taunted in a self-assured tenor voice. He was wearing a strange outfit that made him stand apart from every other trainer Seth had seen so far. It consisted of a blue and white striped shirt with short sleeves along with a set of long blue pants, their sides decorated by a line of thick white circles. On his head, he wore a blue bandana emblazoned with a strange character that resembled the letter "A", except with a rounded center and tips in the shape of bones.

Accompanying the strange man was both a Zubat fluttering in the air above his head, but also a Poochyena that stood beside him, appearing larger and tougher than the few Seth had battled in the past.

"My bad, guys. You see, my Zubat is pretty aggressive, and doesn't always do what I say," the man proclaimed, though it was clear that his word were glib lies. "Maybe if you hand over that briefcase you have, it won't feel the need to maul you."

Seth raised an eyebrow, finding this particular trainer rather weird. "That's a weird way of asking to ba…" Seth began, but Hester cut him off with a frantic hiss. The scientist glanced down towards his briefcase, and then back up at the strange man.

"You're…Team Aqua, aren't you?" Hester asked. Seth noted the evident fear in his voice, and he was starting to have an inkling of just what was going on. Team Aqua…the name sounded a lot like Team Rocket, a massive crime syndicate that had been a threat to everyone in Kanto and Johto until Champion Red took them down singlehandedly.

"That's right! What gave it away? Was it the giant-ass 'A' on my head?" the man sneered, indicating his emblem with a thumb. "Yup, the name is Eric, a proud grunt of Team Aqua. Now, hand over that briefcase and I won't have to hurt either of you."

Seth started to tremble when the gravity of the situation started to dawn on him. This wasn't just trainer; this was a criminal who wouldn't hesitate to use his Pokémon against other humans. Humans couldn't fight Pokémon; the latter were usually too strong to be matched by human strength.

"My briefcase? What do you want with it?" Hester asked hesitantly, sweat forming on his brow. Without warning, the Poochyena barked and lunged at the scientist, causing him to scream and fall on his rear. However, the canine landed just short of him as it had likely intended.

Eric laughed derisively at the sight. "What does it matter? Is what's in the briefcase really worth your life?" he threatened, gesturing for his Poochyena to return to him. Hester hesitated and gulped, droplets of sweat rolling down his face. He didn't answer, causing Eric to get impatient. "Come on, you imbecile. I haven't got all day."

Hester clutched his knees tightly, and then he squeezed his eyes shut. "I…can't give it to you. I won't help your kind accomplish anything!" the scientist bravely declared. Seth's eyes widened at that. The man was terrified; it was clear for everyone to see. His life was at stake, as Eric had confidently stated. Yet, despite being defenseless, he wasn't giving in.

"Oh, give me a break," Eric groaned, holding his head out of exasperation. His lifted his other hand, and both the Zubat and the Poochyena readied themselves to charge. "Don't go talking tough when you'll be squealing all your secrets once Zubat's poison is running through your veins."

The Aqua member let his hand fall, and the two Pokémon moved, swiftly closing the distance between them and the scientist. If Seth was going to act, it had to be now. All it took was one look from Seth for Kyra to understand his intent.

Hester cried out as the Poochyena lunged towards again with the intent to harm. Just before it reached him, a sizable rock slammed into the canine's side, sending it reeling and tumbling to the ground. The Zubat as it approached was suddenly enveloped in a telekinetic aura and hurled into a tree, the bat crying out with pain.

"What in the…" Eric exclaimed. Kyra stood in front of Seth and Hester now, her tiny body glowing with telekinetic power. Eric noted Seth glaring at him with determination, and he realized what was happening. He scoffed and directed his Pokémon to return to him with a terse order. "Oh, so you finally grew a set of balls, huh? Let me guess, you want to battle? Don't you know who you're messing with?"

"Not at all. I haven't a clue who you or Team Aqua even is," Seth admitted, much to Eric's surprise. "Honestly, I don't care either. But I'm not scum enough to let somebody get hurt in front of me when I can do something about it."

Eric looked dumbfounded at first, and then he burst out in incredulous laugher. "You really don't know who we are! You must not be from Hoenn," he deduced correctly. "Well then, let me show you just what it means to oppose us!"

"Come on!" Seth taunted, adrenaline overcoming his usual awkwardness. The Poochyena charged towards Kyra predictably, only to run right into her protective field. Although this stopped nearly everything Seth had battled in its tracks before now, the Poochyena showed its strength by forcing Kyra back a full foot, her feet skidding across the underbrush.

"Seth, what are you doing!?" Hester demanded incredulously. "This isn't your typical trainer battle; Aqua grunts don't fight fair!"

Zubat swooped in from the right while Kyra was busy repelling the Poochyena, bypassing Kyra's protective field entirely and launching a ball of vile liquid directly into her side. Kyra cried out in pain, her field falling, allowing the Poochyena to break through and kick her with its hind legs. The impact knocked her back into a tree.

"Kyra!" Seth called out, distraught. He didn't realize that Eric would use both Pokémon at once; there was no way Kyra could handle them both on her own.

"Give up now and I'll forget this ever happened. I'm a nice guy, after all," Eric taunted with a shrug. The Aqua member noted Kyra rising from the ground and raised an eyebrow. "Huh, that little thing's tougher than it looks."

Seth attempted to approach Kyra with a potion, but the Zubat cut in front of him, screeching angrily at him. Seth got a very good look at the bat's sharp and lethal fangs, causing him to break out into a cold sweat.

"Zubat, kill that impudent moron if he tries to use a potion again," Eric ordered nonchalantly. Seth cursed, realizing that there was no way he could get to Kyra. She was truly on her own in this battle.

Kyra was doing her best to avoid Poochyena's angry fangs by teleporting around, but her opponent was much quicker to react than any other that she'd fought so far. Her telekinetic powers were useless against the dark-type Poochyena, and it wasn't giving her time to circumvent that by picking up other objects.

The battle quickly became one sided when Zubat joined the fray once more, supporting Poochyena and forcing Kyra purely on the defensive. Kyra took hit after hit, and Seth was getting more and more distraught as her motions grew slower and slower.

Deprived of any other option, Seth grasped his only remaining Poké Ball and clicked the button. "Feebas! Help her!" he cried out desperately. Eric paused, and watched as the large fish appeared floating in midair just behind Poochyena. Feebas spotted her opponents, as well as Kyra. Her eyes narrowed, as she appeared to understand the situation.

"Are you kidding? A Feebas? Really?" Eric grew even more amused by this, slapping his knee as he chortled helplessly. "Oh wow, wait until I tell the boys about this. Oh no, my Ralts is getting its ass kicked; save me fishy!"

That last sentence was spoken in a high pitched, mocking tone as Eric pretended to swoon like a damsel in distress. Seth said nothing, hoping against hope that Feebas could turn the tide of this battle.

The Poochyena turned away from Kyra after dealing her one last kick, rendering her unmoving against a nearby tree. Knowing that the Zubat would kill him if he tried to heal her, Seth dropped the potion and took off his bag before running to her side.

As the only target now, the Feebas weathered attacks from both Pokémon, seeming not to budge in the slightest. Eric just kept laughing more and more as it watched the Feebas deliver weak slaps with her fins.

Seth picked up Kyra's battered body, and he cradled her in his arms, resting his head against hers. He cursed everything that contributed to this situation under in a low voice, anger slowly filling him. This wasn't a battle; this wasn't what Kyra wanted.

He looked up to see that the Feebas was still fighting, sometimes even managing to slap her body against the Poochyena. This was clearly a battle of attrition, and while the Feebas appeared very sturdy, it couldn't last against such a vicious onslaught.

"Dear Archie, today I beat up a helpless moron and his useless Feebas! Turns out fish aren't good fighters! Who knew? Ah, what a hoot!" Eric was red faced with merriment now as he watched the battle continue in his favor. "Hurry up and finish it, you two."

Despite the pain she must have been feeling, the Feebas refused to back down. The Zubat zipped around her like an angry Beedrill, its fangs slicing into her scales and stripping them away little by little. The Poochyena rammed into her side repeatedly from all directions, avoiding the Feebas's body whenever she tried to counterattack.

With Kyra lying motionless in his arms in such bad shape as well as Feebas slowly but surely losing an impossible battle, Seth couldn't bear it anymore. He despised himself for it, but he opened his mouth, getting ready to give up so he didn't have to see them get hurt anymore.

As Seth went to do so, he suddenly found himself meeting the Feebas's gaze. Despite the dire situation, her eyes had not lost hope. It seemed as though she were trying to tell him to keep fighting. Seth wanted to believe her, but rational sense told him that fighting this battle was hopeless. Yet, as he held the Feebas's unwavering gaze despite the damage it was taking, Seth felt that he could trust her.

"What, are you finally going to give up?" Eric asked as he noticed Seth rising to his feet, still holding Kyra. "It's about time. As funny as this is, it's starting to get old."

"Feebas…" Seth began. His eyes narrowed with anger. "That you'd fight so hard for me…I don't care what anyone says. You are not worthless. Whatever happens, know you have a place here with me."

"Seriously? What are you, crazy?" Eric demanded with disbelief. "Finish that stupid fish off, you two…wait, what the hell is happening?"

As the Poochyena and Zubat moved in for another assault, the Feebas began to glow with a bright iridescent light. It grew so bright that it filled the whole clearing with white light, forcing Seth, Hester, and Eric to shield their eyes.

The Feebas shrunk and compressed into a single mote of light, and then she erupted outwards, forming the shape of a long serpent with a finned tail. With one final burst of light, the Feebas revealed herself in a stunning new form that took Seth's breath away.

The new form was much larger than her previous one. In fact, she was larger than any Pokémon Seth had ever seen. Now, Feebas had the form of a cream colored serpent as thick as Seth's torso and stretching to an estimated twenty feet. Her tail was a mix of pink and blue diamond shaped scales that culminated in an iridescent blue fan-shaped fin.

Her head was oblong with a pointed tip, and she had two crimson eyes resting above a small mouth. For brows, she had two wisps of pink fins that curved above her head. Her most striking feature were the two long tresses of pink hair that hung from either side of the back of her head, cascading down to just above the underbrush.

Seth gaped at her. He hadn't known what he expected from her, but this certainly hadn't been it. Depending on the angle at which he looked, her scales seemed to shift through the colors of the rainbow. She was beautiful. Between her iridescent scales, her shining pink tresses, and her soulful red eyes, she reminded him of…

"…A princess…she's like a princess!" Seth uttered, unable to find any other word to describe her. Looking at her now, she looked every bit as beautiful as the princess that he envisioned. He couldn't think of anything else to call her. The serpent gave a soft croon in recognition of her trainer's words, and then it gave a baleful stare towards Eric and his two Pokémon. Seth felt his vigor return to him. "Princess! Beat them to within an inch of their lives!"

"W-What the hell is that thing!? Nobody ever told me a Feebas could evolve!" Eric demanded as the serpent slithered towards his Pokémon menacingly. He gathered his composure, a vicious sneer returning to his face. "It doesn't matter what form it takes. Zubat! Poochyena! Overwhelm it!"

Seth watched with baited breath as the two Pokémon converged on Princess, showing the serpent no mercy. Like before, Princess allowed them to hit her, never budging an inch. Zubat's fangs sliced into her scales, and Poochyena's vicious head-butts left angry bruises behind. Yet, much to his shock, Seth watched each injury slowly disappear.

"What the hell!? They're hurting it, I can see it! But…" Eric exclaimed in horror as he watched one of Zubat's bite marks fade away as though it had never been. "That thing can regenerate!?"

At last, Princess began to fight back. When Zubat swooped down for another pass, the serpent lithely twisted her body and whipped the bat powerfully with her thick tail, sending it hurtling across the clearing and into the ground. The impact made a clearly audible crack, like a whip.

As Poochyena rushed in for another charge, Princess turned her head to face it, the tip of her tail waving. A wave of water filled with leaves and branches rose up from the ground and slammed directly into the canine, knocking it clear off of its feet.

"What the hell is happening!?" Eric cried out incredulously as his two Pokémon were slowly picked apart.

Despite their previous prowess, Zubat and Poochyena couldn't deal any lasting damage to Princess. With a powerful whip of her tail, she knocked Poochyena unconscious, and then she turned to Zubat. Princess angled her head forward, a blue mote of light appearing a few inches away from her nose. From within, a scalding stream of water shot forward and struck Zubat directly, the heat and force knocking it out immediately.

Eric didn't have any Pokémon left to defend himself with, and he knew that. He flinched and retreated with a yelp as Seth walked across the field to join Princess, spraying Kyra with a potion in the process. Kyra opened her eyes, looking confused at first, which only intensified when she caught sight of Princess.

Seth lowered Kyra to the ground, and then he rested a hand against Princess's neck. Her scales were slick and cool to the touch, a sensation befitting of a water-type Pokémon. "Dear Archie," Seth began, returning Eric's earlier words to him. "Today, I dreadfully underestimated what I thought to be a worthless fish, and had my ass handed to me as a result."

"You…!" Eric grunted furiously, but he stopped himself. Seth figured that he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight now that he didn't have any Pokémon left. Sure enough, Eric returned his Zubat and Poochyena to their respective Poké Balls. "Don't think you can mess with Team Aqua and get away with it!"

"Maybe not, but you see, I'm about as angry as I've ever been," Seth said in a deadly calm voice. "Get out of here before I pay you back tenfold for the pain you caused to Kyra."

"I'll remember this!" Eric yelped in fear, and then he scrambled off into the brush and out of sight.

There was a short silence, and then Seth stumbled as the adrenaline left him. He caught himself against a tree, panting heavily.

"Seth, that was…incredible," Hester emitted with awe. The scientist strode up to Princess, looking at the serpent with a growing smile. "I can't believe you stood up to Team Aqua…and won!"

"About that…I was pretty sure I wasn't going to win," Seth admitted. "If it weren't for Princess…I don't even want to think about what might have happened."

Hester nodded grimly, and then he turned to face Seth directly, bowing his head. "I'm terribly sorry for dragging you into my messes. He was clearly after the company secrets in my briefcase, and probably would have let you go," he apologized profusely. "Yet you stood up for me anyway, even though you knew you might lose."

"Well, I thought I could win at first, but that's before I knew he'd use both Pokémon at once," Seth replied, feeling a little embarrassed. "But I'm not a saint. I want nothing to do with this Team Aqua or whatever it is they're up to. But like I said, I wouldn't just let somebody get hurt in front of me."

"Either way, I owe you a lot," Hester insisted. "Are you headed to Rustboro? If so, you should come with me to the Devon Corp. Headquarters. I want to reward you somehow."

"That's really not necessary," Seth responded sheepishly. "I am going to Rustboro, but I'm probably going to explore the forest a bit longer before making my way there."

"That's fine. But please, when you arrive, come to the HQ and ask for me. I insist," Hester pressed. Seth hesitantly nodded, earning a smile from him. Hester then turned and tapped the fallen Shroomish with a Poké Ball, capturing it easily. "For now, I need to get back to town and treat this poor thing. It didn't deserve what it got."

"Agreed," Seth said. However, there was one last thing he needed to know. "By the way, before you go, what exactly is Team Aqua?"

"They're an activist group that resist any attempts to develop coastal or oceanic areas, often through violence. They claim to be protectors of the sea, but they're really just criminals," Hester explained. "I'm not sure what they wanted with my briefcase, but it couldn't have been anything good."

"I see. I guess that doesn't sound nearly as bad as Team Rocket," Seth estimated. "Either way, I hope to wash my hands of them."

"Understandable. Nevertheless, be careful," Hester warned. He picked up his briefcase, and then he headed pack towards the path. "Anyhow, I need to get moving. I hope to see you in Rustboro!"

Seth watched Hester go, and then he turned to his Pokémon. First, he knelt down and picked Kyra up, holding her tightly. "Kyra, I'm so sorry for putting you into that situation. It really wasn't our business," Seth expressed to her. Kyra tilted her head and smiled; she didn't appear to be angry at him. In fact, she leaned up her head, her lips parting slightly. Seth chuckled, knowing what she wanted. As Princess watched curiously, Seth met Kyra halfway in an affectionate kiss. "I'll try to never put you in a situation like that again."

Seth set Kyra down, and then he turned to Princess, whose head easily rested level with his. Curious, he retrieved his Pokédex and gave her a quick scan. According to the results, Princess was a Milotic, an extremely rare Pokémon that tended to live at the bottom of deep lakes. It was also known as one of the most beautiful Pokémon to exist.

Seth stepped forward and hugged her next. "Princess…thank you so much for saving all of us. I should have trusted you from the beginning," he said gratefully. Princess crooned softly, her head nuzzling against his ear. "I'm sorry I let everyone talk horribly about you like that. I didn't know any better."

When he released her, Princess gazed at him with understanding eyes. She glanced briefly at Kyra, and then her head leaned forward. Before Seth realized what was happening, their lips met, and he was kissing his Milotic. His eyes widened, at the sudden affection. Princess must have thought this was what she needed to do after seeing Kyra do it.

Princess's lips were as slick as her scales and had a unique, though not unpleasant, texture, and she tasted like the water from a fresh and clean summer spring. Seth couldn't help himself, and he held the kiss for several seconds before finally breaking away to breathe.

"I…uh…wow," Seth emitted breathlessly. Princess gazed at him with doe-like eyes, seeming pleased from the contact as well. He stammered awkwardly. He was mostly used to doing this sort of thing with Kyra, but not with any other Pokémon. "That was…thanks, Princess."

Kyra huffed on the ground, the Ralts glaring up at Princess. The Milotic, upon hearing that, lowered her head to Kyra's level and gave her a soft nuzzle. Kyra flinched, and gazed up at her with wide, surprised eyes.

"This is going to be interesting," Seth remarked.

Now, with both Princess and Kyra in tow, Seth continued his explorations of the forest, finding it much more enjoyable with the two of them by his side. Princess didn't care much for the forest, as the leaves and branches tended to stick to her skin, forcing her to continuously conjure water to soak herself in.

Seth watched her do it one time, marveling as water appeared from nowhere to do her bidding. It clearly took some effort for Princess to control her water, as she only gained the ability to do so an hour ago. Nevertheless, he still found it surreal to watch the water coursing across her body.

The hour grew late as he neared the edge of the forest, so he decided to set up camp in a small forested clearing beside a stream. Seth had never set up a tent before, so even with the manual this proved to be an interesting experience. Kyra helped keep the tent steady as he was setting it up by holding the poles still with telekinesis. This made it much easier to stretch the material and shape the tent.

When he was finished, Seth ate a short meal of bread and berries, and then he collapsed atop his bedroll. "Whew, I'm exhausted," he said aloud, spreading his arms out and stretching them. It had been a rollercoaster of a day, beginning with catching Princess and ending with her evolution against Team Aqua's Eric. His thoughts were interrupted as his Pokémon made their way into the tent as well. Kyra climbed atop his chest, looking at him with an expectant expression. Seth chuckled, stroking her hair lovingly. "But not too exhausted for you, Kyra."

Kyra cooed happily, and she edged forwards until she could reach his mouth, and then she leaned forward and kissed him. Seth reached forward and held her closely, kissing her back passionately. It wasn't long before he could feel his body begin to react to her affection. Today had been stressful, so he found himself craving her more than usual.

He soon became aware of Princess in the tent as well, gazing at the two of them with interest. Seth felt a little awkward, so when he broke away from Kyra, he had to ask. "Uh, Kyra…should we really do this with Princess here?" He blushed under Princess's curious gaze.

Kyra paused, and then she looked back at Princess, deliberating quietly on what to do. Then, with a flick of her arm, she gestured to Princess. The Milotic shifted, slithering around behind Seth so that he could feel her warm body beneath the back of his head like a living pillow. Then, Princess lifted her head to look at Kyra.

Seth watched in tentative silence as Kyra jerked her head towards him, and then she moved back to kiss him once more. "Kyra, but…mmff…" his protests went silent as her lips pressed against his again. This time the kiss was brief, and afterwards Kyra retreated to his waist, nodding to Princess. After Seth had caught his breath, Princess took Kyra's place in kissing him, her unique taste overflowing his senses. He couldn't help but hold onto Princess's neck as he kissed her back, shifting his body beneath her.

His pants unbuttoned themselves due to Kyra's telekinesis, and they slowly slid off along with his underwear, exposing his hardening length to the open air. Seth shifted, his breath brushing against Princess's snout. "Kyra, wait…I…aah!" Seth gasped softly as he felt Kyra's mouth close around the tip of his shaft, the Ralts suckling on him gently. "Princess is…she's…"

Kyra paid his protests no mind, and Princess made sure he couldn't much move, even if he had wanted to resist. Kyra took as much of Seth into her mouth as she could, reaching down to halfway before he felt his tip brush against the back of her throat. She gagged a little, but did her best to pleasure him with small swishes of her tongue along the bottom of his shaft.

Eventually, Princess pulled back, and Kyra pulled Seth's length out of her mouth. Seth's cheeks were a soft red as he looked back at both Princess and Kyra, the two of them gazing at one another. Kyra made a soft churring sound, and she offered Seth's shaft to Princess, who seemed to understand. Before Seth could prepare himself, Princess opened her mouth and engulfed the entirety of his length into her slick warm mouth.

"Ah, Princess! That's…I…wow…" Seth could help but moan at the sudden change in sensation. Princess's mouth was wide enough to take him all the way in up to the hilt without reaching the back of her throat. Her thin, yet strong tongue curled around his shaft and gently stroked him inside of her mouth, even as she suckled on it. Seth felt the urge to thrust up into her, but he wasn't sure if he should. "Princess…"

Princess crooned in response. The vibrations from the sound ran through her throat, and Seth moaned when he felt them on his shaft. At last, Princess began to move her head back and forth, caressing every inch of his length a warm heavenly sensation. She was driving Seth wild, whose breath quickened and his muscles tensed.

Kyra, seeming satisfied, moved back to Seth's upper chest, going back to kissing him. In the process, she ground her nether regions against his chest, squeaking with desire. Seth kissed her back and lifted one trembling hand. He found it hard to focus due to Princess's treatment, but he managed to slip a finger between Kyra's legs to help ease her need. Kyra cooed and turned a light red, grinding her hips against him so that his finger slipped inside of her.

With Princess's dutiful slurps, Kyra's soft moans, and Seth's pleasured grunts, the tent was filled with the sounds of their lovemaking. Seth's moans grew higher and higher in pitch as he drew closer to his climax. He tried to warn Princess, but Kyra's kissing made it difficult for him to form a sentence.

"Mmm…I…Prin…cess…ah! Ah!" Seth managed to get out, and then he gasped and came, his length throbbing and spurting thick streams of cum into Princess's mouth. He held Kyra tightly and thrust gently upwards, breathing spasmodically as he finished releasing himself into Princess. Kyra finally broke away, allowing him to look at Princess sheepishly. "I'm sorry…I tried to…warn you…"

Princess looked back at him motionless for a brief moment, and then she pulled back, her tongue sliding along his sensitive shaft and collecting every last drop of seed. He popped out of her mouth with a slick pop, and then Princess tilted her head back and swallowed it all in a single gulp.

"Princess, that's…" Seth had difficulty understanding the thrill that just passed through him, but he knew that he liked what he'd just seen. "That's so hot."

Princess gave him an affectionate lick, and then she rested her head on Seth's chest. Kyra looked between the two of them, pleased, and she curled up into the crook of Seth's arm, no doubt getting ready to rest. Seth realized how comfortable he was in this position, and he soon began to grow sleepy.

Thus, with Princess curled up around him and Kyra snuggling close to his side, Seth drifted off to sleep, the air still smelling of sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gaaah! Thank you so much for reading all the way through this mondo, ginormous chapter! I didn't intend for it to be so long, but by the time I was halfway through, I realized that if I finished it where I originally intended it to, it would have left this chapter without a sex scene, which I'm hoping not to do to you just yet. Then again, considering what's coming with Roxanne, I might have been able to get away with it...but enough about that.
> 
> This whole chapter was to introduce Princess, the Milotic shown in the story summary! Just like it says on the tin, Milotic is a beautiful Pokemon with the ability to wall very effectively, so I was captivated with her. Technically she shouldn't have evolved so soon, but I draw the line when it comes to screwing a fish, so if I wanted things to get sexy, she needed to evolve.
> 
> I have a confession to make. You probably figured it out already if you're as much of a weeb as me, but there was one gigantic cameo in this chapter. I was wracking my brains trying to come up with a fisherman character that would serve to help Seth get the Feebas, and I couldn't stop thinking of a certain group of four. I resisted at first because that would be silly, but then I realized this is a fanfiction. About a guy who goes around screwing girls and his pokemon. I think I can afford to be a little silly. So yes, Connie, Gin, Douglas, and Tom are from a certain RPG that I may or may not have played the crap out of. Their names are even partial anagrams of the ones from the game. Those of you that take the time to tell me that they understood the reference can have a kiss from Kyra or Princess!
> 
> Anyway, thanks again for reading this far, and thanks for sticking with me so far on this degenerate journey!


	7. VS Roxanne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth arrives in the town of Rustboro after his ordeal with Team Aqua, where he at last challenges his first pokemon gym...

It seemed as though every city that Seth visited was larger than the last. When he emerged from Petalburg Woods, the cityscape of Rustboro clearly rose above the horizon. Seth whistled, realizing that for him to see them from this far away, the buildings must be very large indeed. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised; Rustboro City was the home of Devon Corporation, which according to Tom was developing the latest in mobile technology. No doubt any city with a corporate giant like that in it would have exploded in size.

There was still quite some ways to go. Leaving the forest deposited him at the banks of the Iron Bay, a large body of water that eventually opened out into the ocean. A breathtaking suspension bridge stretched across the water, reaching all the way to the outskirts of Rustboro City. It was a straight shot from here, so Seth broke into a brisk walk. He was enthusiastic to get there as soon as possible, so he could have the rest of the day to explore the city.

While Kyra rode on his shoulders as usual, Seth discovered that Princess had no difficulty keeping up with him. She had retained the ability to levitate from her time as a Feebas, so she was able to float beside the two of them. While moving forward, her body undulated in midair like a snake slithering on the ground. Seth couldn't stop looking at her; the morning sun reflecting off of her iridescent scales was a beautiful sight. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her.

When Seth reached the bridge, he immediately moved over to the right side of the walkway, as he was hardly the only one crossing the bridge. People and pokémon who chose to walk stayed to the far sides of the walkway, and those riding bikes remained in the center. Sometimes even a car or two passed by, forcing everyone to move out of its way.

More interesting to him were the looks Princess was getting. Seth quickly realized that the Pokédex wasn't kidding when it stated that Milotic were rare. The people who stared did so as if they'd never seen a Milotic before, which was entirely possible. The attention caused Princess to preen, intentionally moving in such a way to show off as much of her body as possible. Seth felt awkward at all of the attention, but he could feel his ego swell at the thought of acquiring such a rare and beautiful pokémon.

After passing through an elaborate iron fence archway, Seth arrived in Rustboro City proper. Unlike Petalburg, this city was truly urban; the streets were stone gray and the sidewalks a light shade of brown, each paved with granite. The buildings, made of stone brick and steel, towered above him, the windows tinted darkly to obscure the offices or residences within.

"I'd say it's like Olivine, but it's a bit older looking than that," Seth commented aloud to Kyra and Princess. He came to a stop at a street corner and looked around, taking in the sights. This city was much larger than Petalburg, such that it looked to take him multiple days just to see it all. Seth's chest swelled with excitement. "Might as well get started. Coming, Princess?"

Seth first visited a few hotels, searching for one with the most reasonable price. He possessed enough money to keep him well housed and well fed for a few days, but he wouldn't be able to stay here for very long. Large cities tended to have a higher cost of living than towns such as Littleroot.

After finding a hotel with reasonable rates, Seth booked a room and then set out to explore the city, starting by heading to the port and working his way inward. Like Petalburg City, Rustboro City had a port that opened out into the Echo Sea, where ships and barges constantly steamed in and out on their way to the different regions.

As for what they could be transporting, Seth soon found out through his explorations that the primary industry in the town was the production of steel. His progress into the industrial sector was barred by fences and red tape, but he could make out the scores of warehouses and refineries that lay within. Seth had no doubt that this was where the city made the majority of its income.

Seth then moved on to the school districts, finding himself in awe at just how big the city was. There were so many buildings whose purposes he couldn't ascertain, and so many alleyways that he hadn't explored, that he began to wonder if it was even feasible to truly explore and experience the city in its entirety.

"I feel like I'd have to live here to truly understand it," Seth conjectured to himself as he walked along the edge of the trainer school's campus. From here, he could see a few of the classes in session, the trainers facing off against one another with their pokémon. He wondered if he shouldn't stop in himself at some point in order to brush up on type advantages.

Apart from just the trainer's school, there was also multiple normal schools for those intending to study other fields ranging from biology to engineering. Seth looked at these with interest; he would have gone to schools like this, if he hadn't chosen to become a trainer instead.

Eventually, Seth came across one of the single most important buildings in the entire city; the pokémon gym. It stood in the middle of a rocky lot, surrounded by concrete sidewalks. It was a mostly unassuming building, set apart from the surroundings only by the rocky decorative structure along its roof, and the traditional poké ball emblem above the doorway.

"Okay, I'm going inside. I don't plan on challenging it just yet, but I'm curious as to what a real gym is like," Seth decided. He'd seen Norman's gym before, but it had been empty and devoid of challengers at the time. With that, he swallowed and walked up the steps to the double doors.

Seth stepped inside expecting to see something similar to his father's gym. He couldn't have been more wrong. The first thing he noticed were three gigantic sculptures on the far end of the cavernous room in which he stood. The one carved into the back wall was fashioned in the shape of a skeletal Aerodactyl, while another in the shape of a Kabutops jutted out from the left wall. A third that he didn't recognize was the closest to him, resting near the right wall atop a rocky ridge.

"That's…impressive," Seth breathed, wishing more than ever that he had a camera with him. The room in which Seth was standing appeared to encompass the entirety of the building. It was split across its width into two halves. The further half was adorned with walls and scenery akin to that of a rocky wasteland, forming a small maze meant to block the access of any potential challengers. He couldn't see any further than the first wall, but he could hear the sounds of battle from beyond it, along with a constant chorus of cheers.

The half in which Seth stood appeared to be a museum of sorts. Glass display cases filled the room, each of which containing a rock or fossil of some kind. Curious, Seth perused the cases, glancing at their contents with interest. He lingered on the geodes, marveling at the glimmering crystals. The fossils were equally interesting, although he couldn't tell what kind of pokémon to which they once belonged at first glance. Thankfully, each case was equipped with a plaque that explained the characteristics of the exhibit within.

Seth eventually drew near to the room's only occupant; a man wearing a business suit and glasses standing near a significantly large glass case that contained a scaled model of Hoenn. Upon drawing near, the man nodded to him as a way of greeting.

"Where is everyone?" Seth questioned in order to break the silence between them. "You'd think a gym would be busier."

"That's because nobody is gonna be back here when there's a gym challenge going on," the man replied with a grin. "Some poor fool challenged Roxanne just yesterday, so he's in there with her now."

"It wasn't a girl named 'May,' was it?" Seth asked curiously. Depending on his answer, Seth figured that he'd run to watch the battle himself.

"No, it was a man by the name of Randall, I believe," the man answered. Seth nodded; in that case, he decided to stick around the museum a little longer before going to watch. "You're not interested in the battle?"

"I'm more interested in Roxanne," Seth replied. The man raised an eyebrow, causing Seth to correct himself hastily. "I mean I'm thinking about challenging her at some point, but I know almost nothing about her."

"Ah. She's an incredibly talented trainer who recently graduated from the trainer's school nearby. It didn't take her very long to become the new gym leader," the man explained, accepting his explanation. "She uses mostly rock types, so if that serpent of yours is a water type, you may have a chance. If you want to know more, check out the left wall."

"I see. Thank you," Seth replied, and then he moved to check out the left wall. He felt a little better knowing that Princess may well be his trump card in this battle, but he knew he'd likely lead with Kyra. This battle was for her sake, after all.

On the left wall was a large portrait of a girl that Seth assumed must be Roxanne herself. She was a slender girl with a smooth, heart shaped face and a pointed chin. Her hair was long and dark brown, and was pulled back into two distinct braids that spread out to either side. Her magenta eyes were spaced evenly on her face and set beneath two well-groomed brows.

For clothes, she was wearing a gray colored school uniform consisting of a sleeveless dress that ended in a short skirt worn above a white undershirt. Lastly, she wore bright magenta leggings that clung to her legs attractively. Seth had to admit that she was rather appealing, though he couldn't tell her age from the picture.

Beside the portrait were several plaques listing Roxanne's achievements, including her graduation from the trainer's school as valedictorian. Nowhere did it tell him what kind of pokémon she used, so after Seth finished observing the wall, he decided to go and view the battle. It appeared to be reaching a peak in intensity, if the cheers he heard were anything by which to go.

With that, Seth made his way into the rocky half of the room. He easily navigated the maze and found himself right in front of the battle arena. Before he could even take a good look, a brown blur zipped past his vision and slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and rock in the process. Seth yelped and covered his eyes.

When the dust cleared, a small boulder was revealed, resting atop a thoroughly defeated Beautifly. "Beautifly is unable to continue!" the referee announced, much to the chagrin of the challenger. Randall, a young boy with a net slung over his shoulder, complained in annoyance and withdrew the fallen pokémon, replacing it with a Dustox instead.

On the other side of the field was Roxanne herself, a rocky pokémon Seth didn't recognize standing just in front of her. She wore a neutral expression, nodding as though everything were as she'd expected.

Around the two of them were sets of bleachers that were about halfway filled with other trainers and city residents. All of them were watching the battle with varying degrees of excitement. However, judging from the cheers Seth was hearing, the majority of them were rooting for Roxanne.

A quick discrete scan with the Pokédex revealed Roxanne's pokémon to be a Nosepass, a rock type pokémon with magnetic properties. Supposedly, its nose always faced north, like a compass. Seth leaned against the wall and watched carefully, hoping to get a sense of how Roxanne fought.

"Perhaps it would be best if you conceded. It appears that you've little understanding of type advantages," Roxanne addressed her challenger politely. Her expression was neutral and her tone was polite, so it was difficult for Seth to determine how she was feeling. "To your credit, your Dustox isn't a flying type, but it's still a bug type, and thus weak to every one of my pokémon."

"I know that, but I resolved to beat your despite your advantage!" Randall declared fervently. "Not even your rocks can resist poison! Dustox!"

Roxanne exhaled softly, remaining calm even as the Dustox fluttered towards her. The moth flapped its gossamer wings, releasing a nearly invisible rain of soft violet powder down over Nosepass. Remaining still, the Nosepass briefly glowed, and nearby rocks lifted up from the ground and formed a barrier over its head, protecting it from the falling poison.

"A reasonable plan, but executed without forethought," Roxanne observed, her hand playing with the end of one of her braids. "Nosepass, if you will?"

The rocky barrier hovering above the angular pokémon suddenly exploded upwards, fragmenting into smaller rocks. Dustox was unable to react in time and was battered by a hailstorm of rocks, knocking it to the ground immediately.

"Dustox is down! Challenger Randall is out of useable pokémon!" the referee declared amidst the cheering of the crowd. Randall cursed under his breath and recalled his Dustox. "This gym challenge has ended! Leader Roxanne is victorious!"

"That was an enjoyable performance, nonetheless. Perhaps you should attend my seminar concerning type advantages and defenses tomorrow?" Roxanne suggested to Randall, lightly bowing her head. Randall didn't answer her, choosing instead to scoff and retreat from the field towards where Seth was standing.

Seth watched, but said nothing as Randall passed him, the trainer's annoyance clear to see. He soon put the previous challenger out of his mind, instead analyzing what he'd seen. He didn't think that she would prove an insurmountable obstacle, but Roxanne was clearly above the average trainer.

He noticed the crowds dispersing, so Seth retreated to one of the side passages while they passed by him. When the room was clear, he stepped back into the main path, only to walk out in front of Roxanne.

"Oh, pardon me," Roxanne apologized, coming to a halt just before she ran into him. Seth froze; he hadn't expected to talk to her so soon. Seeing her up close was nothing like looking at her portrait; Roxanne was twice as appealing in person. The way she held herself was formal yet relaxed, betraying a calm inner confidence. Seth found it rather attractive.

"No, it was my fault for just walking out," Seth stammered awkwardly. He couldn't help but flush a bit, finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. Roxanne smiled softly. Her eyes inevitably drifted to Kyra on his shoulder and Princess behind him.

"You must be a trainer as well," Roxanne correctly surmised. Her eyes lingered on Princess. "If I may, I'm interested in that gorgeous pokémon behind you. I've never seen the like before."

Seth reached up and stroked the back of Princess's head affectionately. "Her name is Princess. I'm told she's very rare pokémon," he revealed to her proudly.

"It must be. I'm interested in learning more about it," Roxanne requested. Before Seth could answer however, she sighed and shook her head. "My apologies. You likely didn't arrive to indulge my cupidity. Did you come to challenge the gym?"

"I did, but I'm not quite ready yet," Seth answered. Roxanne nodded understandingly. "Especially not after watching your last battle."

"Of course. Taking time to prepare will never be to your detriment," Roxanne agrees modestly. "However, issuing a challenge does not always result in an immediate battle. If you'd like, we can set a specific time in the future for our battle."

"Is that all there is to it?" Seth asked with surprise. "I'm new to being a trainer, so I don't know how gym battles work."

"Ah, I see! Care to walk with me, then? I can explain the underlying rules to you," Roxanne offered, gesturing down the corridor that led back to the museum.

"You would do that? Aren't gym leaders usually too busy to spend time with random trainers?" Seth questioned with surprise. Roxanne laughed musically at his hesitation.

"We do tend to be busy, but it's not as if we're bereft of down time. I have several hours before my next challenge," Roxanne explained. "Additionally, I'm still a trainer, the same as you. You don't need to differentiate between the two of us merely because of my title."

"That's very kind of you to say." Presented with such an argument, Seth realized it would be rude of him to hesitate any further. He smiled gratefully. "Then I'll gladly listen to your explanation."

"Marvelous!" Roxanne beamed, and then the two of them returned back to the museum area and back out into the city streets. Seth wasn't sure where they were going, but it didn't matter. He was still somewhat in shock that he was spending time with a gym leader. "If I may, did you attend the trainer's school? I don't remember seeing you in any of my classes."

"I didn't. Everything I know, I've learned through experience," Seth admitted. Roxanne blinked with bemusement. Seth wondered if that was the right thing to say to a teacher. "Is…that bad?"

"I'm nonplussed, to be entirely honest. Given the rare pokémon you possess as well as their evident attachment to you, it comes as a shock that you're self-taught," Roxanne relates, a look of interest forming on her face. "Of course, as a teacher, I still recommend that you attend at least one of my seminars. It could only help."

""I'll think about it. I've never been one to stay in one place for too long," Seth conceded. He certainly wasn't comfortable attending a school, as that meant wasting the days away inside a single building. Yet he wasn't about to argue with Roxanne. "By the way, where are we going?"

"I intended to walk along the perimeter of this park just ahead, in order to unwind before my next battle," she answered, pointing ahead. Seth peered ahead to see that the sidewalk wrapped around the fringe of a wooded grassy park. Multiple dirt paths crisscrossed through the park, forming walkways for pedestrians to enjoy nature. Seth found it odd that such a park would be in an industrial city such as Rustboro. "Along the way, I can clarify the rules of a gym challenge to you."

"I would appreciate that. I can't imagine that it's as simple as walking in and saying I want to battle you," Seth remarked.

"In fact, that's precisely how it is. After declaring your intent to challenge, it's as simple as registering your team with the gym and setting a desired time for the battle," Roxanne clarified.

"Why do I need to register my team?" Seth questioned curiously. "Is it common for gyms to keep records of the trainers that challenge them?"

"Perhaps I'd best start from the beginning," Roxanne decided. "Each trainer, including myself, is limited to six pokémon at maximum. Therefore, when a trainers declare their intent to challenge the gym, they must register the team with which they intend to battle. This is intended to force the challengers to put thought into their strategy and choice of pokémon, as well as prevent the battle from perpetuating."

"Is there any rule that keeps both teams equal in the number of pokémon? Like, if I entered with two pokémon, would you be limited to two as well?" Seth inquired.

"There is no such rule. It's not uncommon for there to be battles in which either the leader or the challenger may have more pokémon than the other. They must adapt," Roxanne reveals. Seth bit his lip, not liking the sound of that. If Roxanne had more than two pokémon, he would be outnumbered. Yet he didn't want to catch a random pokémon just to be able to keep up. "Are you familiar with the standard battling rules?"

"I think so. I was able to pick up at least that much from standard trainers," Seth replied uncertainly. "One on one battles, and from there anything goes."

"More or less. Yet a few additional rules have been added for the sake of saving time and safety." Now that the two of them had walked to the far end of the park, Roxanne diverted from their current route onto a dirt path that cut through the woods that likely headed back the way from which they came. "As you may have discerned, a judge will be present for the duration of the battle, and will rule when a particular pokémon can no longer participate. This can result when your pokémon is rendered unconscious, although there have been cases when the judge has ruled a pokémon unable to continue for the sake of its own safety."

Seth nodded, finding that to be reasonable. He also couldn't help but notice Roxanne's word choice and sentence structure. Her words were generally formal and advanced; even if he hadn't known beforehand, he would have guessed that she was a teacher or another occupation requiring such an education.

"Furthermore, the use of potions and other such items is allowed for on-site care, but there is a caveat; any pokémon upon which an item is used is no longer able to participate in the battle," Roxanne explained further.

"Oh, so I should only care for my pokémon if they've already been knocked out of the fight," Seth reasoned, quickly discovering the reasoning behind such a rule. "That way I can't just keep feeding potions to a single pokémon to prevent it from fainting."

"Precisely. You catch on swiftly," Roxanne complimented him. "That should cover the major rules. I don't believe I have to explain the easier to grasp rules such as excluding trainers from the battle."

"Definitely not. That's an awful thing to even consider," Seth agreed. He couldn't help but think back to his previous encounter with Team Aqua, who would most certainly have harmed him if he had lost. "Thanks again for taking the time to explain things to me."

Roxanne's lips curved into a small smile. "But of course. It's the least I can do for an aspiring new trainer." Her smile then turned somewhat mischievous. "To be honest, you're getting the better end of the deal; a private lesson with me usually requires some form of prior compensation."

Seth flushed and withdrew his wallet, fishing through it for the money he'd earned. "Sorry, I should have realized that. How much does one of your lessons usually cost? I should have enough," Seth stammered. Roxanne blinked, looking nonplussed.

"You honestly plan to pay me for this? I appreciate your integrity, but there's no need. I was merely engaging in a spot of facetious humor," Roxanne revealed teasingly. Seth paused, his blush deepening when he realized how foolish he looked for not recognizing that. He slowly put his wallet away, resting his head in his hand. Roxanne giggled. "My, but your reaction was excellent. My apologies for teasing."

"No, I'm sorry for being so dense. I don't deal with people that much," Seth admitted, shaking his head and smirking despite himself. When he next looked up, he realized that they had just exited the woods and that the gym was just before them. "I imagine you have to get back to work."

"Indeed I do," Roxanne came to a stop just before stepping onto the sidewalk, a reluctant expression crossing her face. "But before I go, I'd like to ask; are you going to challenge me, or would you rather attend a seminar or two first?"

"I'd rather learn through experience. So to answer your question, I am going to challenge you, but not today," Seth decided. "You said I could register for a time in the future?"

"I did. Just speak with the attendant inside, and he'll guide you through the process," Roxanne answered with a nod of the head. "Now, I must take my leave. I look forward to your challenge, and I hope to speak with you further in the future."

With that, Roxanne turned and retreated back to the gym, leaving Seth alone on the sidewalk. Yet, Seth felt as though he'd gained a lot from that. Now he knew what to expect in the upcoming battle.

"Alright, Kyra. Let's get us ready for that challenge," Seth decided. Kyra cooed happily from her position on his shoulders, clearly excited at the prospect of the upcoming battle. With Princess following close behind, Seth returned to the gym as well.

The attendant, the same man he'd spoken to upon first arriving, was very helpful. Just as Roxanne had said, he'd been required to record which pokémon he intended to use. Being the only pokémon he had, Seth recorded both Kyra and Princess. It wasn't long before Seth found himself slated to battle Roxanne the following afternoon.

Yet, he had no intentions of spending that time idle.

Seth arrived at the gym the next afternoon ten minutes before his scheduled challenge time, Kyra following him close behind. Unlike the previous day, the gym was fairly busy, but they didn't appear to be here for the museum. Seth gulped, realizing that they were likely here to watch his battle with Roxanne. Though, he believed it would be more accurate to say they were here to see Roxanne. Sure enough, none of them even batted an eye when he entered the building.

"Ah, you're right on time." Seth turned when the attendant from yesterday approached him. The man seemed rather excited to see him, despite the fact that he'd seemed less than enthused about Randall's battle previously. "I was a little afraid that you wouldn't show."

"If I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it," Seth revealed, unable to keep the reluctance from his voice. He was in this for his pokémon, rather than for the thrill of it like most trainers. "Why are you so excited? You didn't seem to care about Randall's challenge."

"Because trainers like Randall are a dime a dozen," the attendant answered dismissively. "I have a good feeling about you. There's something about you that makes you stand out from the usual challengers."

"Was it Princess?" Seth asked wryly. Unlike yesterday, Princess was in her poké ball; with luck, he wouldn't have to use her.

"You mean that serpent you had yesterday? I suppose that was part of it," the attendant admitted. "I'm being serious, though. I think you might have a chance, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."

"Well, I'll try not to disappoint you," Seth responded uncomfortably, ending that particular conversation. "So what do I do now? Do I just walk into the maze?"

"That's right. Make your way through the rocks, and Roxanne'll be waiting for you," the attendant answered. Seth nodded, and then he made his way towards the maze of rocks.

As he strode forward, some of the other people in the museum area started to take notice of him. It didn't take long for some of them to realize that he was the one challenging Roxanne. It was clear that they didn't think much of him from the looks he was getting.

"You're lucky you're so cute," Seth grumbled to Kyra, who was again resting on his shoulders. Kyra made a small sound of amusement, and then she licked his ear affectionately. Seth stepped into the maze of rocks, sighing. "Alright, let's do this."

Remembering the path forward from yesterday, Seth made his way to the main arena, his anticipation and dread growing with every step. Eventually, Kyra took notice, causing her to hug his neck.

"I can't help it," Seth complained, recognizing that his emotions were on full display to her. "I've never done this kind of thing before…and certainly not in front of all of these people. But I guess it's too late for thoughts like that."

At last, Seth exited the maze of rocks into the arena proper. Last time, his vision had been obscured by the walls of rock, but now he had an unfettered view of the entire room. The arena itself was little more than an expanse of rocky terrain, complete with likely artificial formations and loose gravel. Unlike the maze through which he'd traveled, the coloration of the rock was a shade of dark maroon with ribbons of dark gray mixed in.

The bleachers were not as full as they were yesterday, but Seth had no doubt that they soon would be, due to the people already filtering in through the side entrances to take their seats. Much to his relief, he didn't recognize any of them. That relief was immediately blown away when he noticed the cameras set up at various angles around the arena. He began to sweat, hoping against hope that this battle wasn't going to be televised; it wasn't uncommon for gym challenges to be on TV.

Seth forced himself to breathe as he took his place on one side of the battle arena. Roxanne stood on the other side, her hands clasped behind her back and two poké balls strapped to her belt. She smiled when she saw him, making a small bow of her head.

"Welcome back, Seth. I've been looking forward to this ever since I learned of your challenge request the prior afternoon." Roxanne greeted him calmly, as though they were having nothing other than a simple conversation. "I take it you had time to sufficiently prepare?"

Seth quickly composed himself before answering. "I have. I've spent the entirety of the time since we last met in the forest, training for this battle," Seth revealed, sounding a lot more confident than he felt. "Granted, I still don't think it's enough, but…"

"I admire your determination and dedication. You must possess quite the ambition," Roxanne responded with approval. Despite her positive response, Seth felt he had to correct her.

"Well, that's not quite right. I'm not doing this because I want to. I've never been a fan of pokémon battles," Seth revealed. Roxanne didn't have a response for that at first, her eyes widening slightly. He decided to explain further to head off the question no doubt forming on her lips. "My Ralts, Kyra, likes to battle. I'm doing this for her; I want her to enjoy herself."

"That's…a reason I can wholly respect. To engage in something you dislike for the sake of your pokémon...I don't believe I've met a trainer quite like you," Roxanne uttered with awe evident in her tone. Her smile grew and she reached for one of her poké balls. "Oh my, I do believe I've become somewhat excited for this."

On the sidelines near the center, a small door opened to reveal the same referee who had overseen the previous battle. Roxanne noticed his arrival and then took a deep breath. "It seems the judge has arrived. Shall we commence our battle?"

"It doesn't seem like I can put it off any longer," Seth remarked with a heavy sigh. He turned to look up at Kyra. "Are you ready, Kyra?"

Kyra hummed, her eyes narrowing. She leaped off of his shoulder and landed deftly on the ground in the arena. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in the center of their side of the field. She hopped in place, humming with excitement.

"Excellent. I look forward to seeing how you battle!" Roxanne declared. Unclasping the poké ball she held from her belt, she hurled it into the center of her side of the field, where it released her first pokémon.

It wasn't hard for Seth to recognize the pokémon. It was roughly spherical in shape with a myriad of jagged, angular edges, and it possessed two deceptively slender arms stretching out from either side. As Seth watched, the pokémon opened its eyes, the two slits appearing in the center of the sphere.

"A Geodude. Pure rock-type," Seth observed. The battle from here on could go either way; As far as he knew, neither it nor Kyra had any way of easily overcoming the other's defenses. "Kyra, take care to scout first before going on the offensive."

"Both contestants have revealed their starting pokémon!" The judge announced, the man having already climbed to a higher vantage point in order to get a better view of the battle. "Today, we have Trainer Seth up against Leader Roxanne! First, Trainer Seth has led with his first pokémon, the uncommonly seen Ralts! Let's see how far he can go against Leader Roxanne's meticulously trained pokémon! Let the battle begin!"

Seth did his best to tune out both the announcer and the cheers erupting from the much more crowded bleachers. All that mattered right now was his match with Roxanne, and how he could help Kyra bring down that Geodude.

"Geodude, attack strategy B," Roxanne ordered simply. Seth immediately was able to tell the difference between her and the average trainer. He couldn't discern anything about her strategy just from what she said. He realized he'd have to play this entirely by ear, so to speak.

Geodude immediately leaped to one of the rocky pillar-like formations around the arena and clung to the side with its powerful grip. With its other hand, it smashed the top of the pillar and hurled chunk after chunk of rock down towards where Kyra stood.

Kyra stood firm beneath the veritable shower of rock. She zipped in and out of existence, avoiding those that she could. For those that she couldn't, she grasped them with her telekinesis and sent them hurtling back towards Geodude. Roxanne's pokémon winced whenever one would hit its mark, but it didn't appear to damage it much, if at all.

"Switch to attack strategy C," Roxanne directed, as tersely as before. The Geodude reacted instantly, leaping down from the pillar and clamping its arms around a significantly larger boulder. The pokémon grunted and lifted the boulder clear over its head, and then hurled it directly at Kyra.

Seth knew Kyra would easily be able to dodge, but what concerned him was that the Geodude was zooming around through the field the moment the boulder left its hands.

"Kyra, incoming!" Seth warned just in time. After Kyra teleported away from the boulder, the Geodude was waiting for her. Kyra managed to twist her body away from the pokémon's fist just as it slammed into the ground. Seth's eyes widened when the rocky ground shattered beneath the Geodude's fist, revealing just how much force had been behind the attack. Roxanne wasn't holding back in the slightest. "Attack it now!"

Kyra's body glowed with an ethereal light. She lifted her arms and captured the Geodude within her telekinetic field. She twisted her arms, and the pokémon was sent spinning backwards. The Geodude cried out as it collided with a rock pillar behind it, cracks spidering away from the point of impact.

"Good eye," Roxanne complimented graciously. She then looked at her recovering pokémon. "Geodude, can you keep going?"

When Geodude confirmed its ability to fight, Roxanne gave it yet another generic strategy name that Seth couldn't decipher. Geodude responded by lifting small boulders the size of Seth's head in each of its hands. One after the other, it sent the boulders hurtling into the tops of different rock pillars, shattering them and sending a dangerous hail of rock down upon Kyra.

While Kyra was contending with the falling rocks, Geodude zoomed directly for her, its first shooting forward in a vicious punch. Kyra was forced to ignore the falling rocks and contend with Geodude' sudden assault. As a result, shards of rock pelted her painfully, causing her to wince.

Geodude released a gravely roar and unleashed a flurry of punches at Kyra. Seth bit his lip and watched with evident anxiety, recognizing that taking even a single one of those could knock her out of the fight.

Kyra seemed more than prepared, however. Despite taking damage from the falling rocks, she blinked backwards out of the way of each of Geodude's attacks. It quickly adapted, however, and began anticipating where Kyra would teleport by determining where the shower of rocks was thinnest. Thus, Kyra had to fend Geodude off with her protective field. After using the field to block a few of its punches, the field began to crack.

Seth's eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly during this exchange, looking for anything to help give Kyra the advantage. Looking above, he noticed that one of the rock pillars had become unstable due to the impact with one of Geodude's hurled boulders. It was crumbling at the base, threatening to fall at any moment. Seth suddenly had an idea, but he struggled to find a way to communicate it to Kyra without tipping off Roxanne.

"Kyra, behind you! The arena isn't safe!" He wasn't sure if Kyra would understand him, but that was as explicit as he could afford to be.

Kyra, the moment she saw a gap in Geodude's defenses, teleported towards the pillar that Seth had spotted. Now that the rain of rocks had subsided, Geodude seemed to realize that getting closer would result in getting caught again.

Yet, it wasted no time in continuing the attack. It lifted a sizable rock from the ground and sent it careening through the air towards Kyra, who halted it in place easily with her telekinesis. She sent it right back, only for Geodude to catch it.

Geodude tried a new tack, crushing the rock in its hand. It then hurled what remained towards Kyra in the form of a hail of gravel and dust. Without waiting to see whether it hit, the Geodude rushed forward, one fist zooming forward mercilessly.

Kyra swiftly dipped her head to the side rather than teleporting, such that Geodude's fist surged past her and collided directly with the unstable pillar. The resulting force proved to be too much for the pillar to bear. With a threatening crack, the shadow of the falling pillar fell over the two pokémon. Geodude's eyes widened and it attempted to flee…only to find that it couldn't. Kyra's body glowed, her arms held forward and a small malevolent smile on her lips.

At the last moment, Kyra teleported away. The Geodude made a cry of anguish before the pillar collapsed upon it with a thunderous crash. Seth let out a sigh of relief. Whether or not Kyra understood him, she learned to use the pillar as a weapon regardless. Kyra lifted multiple rocks to use in case Geodude emerged, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

"That's enough, Geodude," Roxanne called before the judge had a chance to say anything. The rocks rustled and the heavily battered Geodude emerged just in time to be called back into Roxanne's poké ball. "Clever, Seth, to use my own terrain against me. You're quite exceptional."

"Leader Roxanne has called back her Geodude, leaving her with only a single pokémon! Will Trainer Seth maintain his newly gained lead for long?" the judge announced for the cheering crowd.

Seth took a deep breath, recognizing that he was halfway through this battle. Yet, he knew that Roxanne still had her Nosepass left. He had a basic idea of what it could do, but he hadn't enough time to observe its abilities in its previous battle.

Sure enough, when Roxanne cast out another poké ball, the Nosepass was revealed. Standing a little over a meter tall, the imposing pokémon remained stalwart and unmoving. Roxanne scanned the arena, which was now littered with rocky debris from the previous battle.

"Nosepass, the field has been prepared for you. Perform strategies A and D, if you will," Roxanne directed. Seth was just questioned what she meant by that first sentence when a veritable storm of rocky debris lifted itself from the ground and began swirling around the pokémon. Roxanne indicated the arena with a sweep of her hand. "Seth, are you familiar with the type of rock from which the arena is constructed?"

"I'm not too familiar with geology," Seth admitted, even as he stared at Nosepass's power, feeling somewhat intimidated.

"That's perfectly fine; I'll explain. The arena consists of a particular igneous rock known as rhyolite. You can think of it as the extrusive variant of granite," Roxanne began. "This strain of rhyolite was excavated from a vein particularly rich in magnetite content. I trust you recognize the significance of this?"

It took a few moments for Seth to realize at what she was getting. When it hit him, he gulped. This meant that the entire arena was essentially magnetic; this explained how Nosepass was able to control all of those rocks as though it possessed telekinesis.

"Kyra, the field is your enemy. Tread carefully," Seth immediately warned his Ralts without giving Roxanne an answer. The moment after the words left his mouth, the rocks surged through the air towards Kyra like a swarm of angry hornets. Seth quickly realized that Kyra wouldn't be able to defend herself from so many rocks at once. "Take cover!"

Despite his warning, Kyra was quickly driven into a corner. Taking cover behind pillars or boulders proved useless, as Nosepass simply destroyed them through manipulating the magnetite content within. Once Kyra was forced into the open, she found herself surrounded by a circular field of rocks.

From there, Kyra and Nosepass engaged in a chaotic telekinetic battle. Seth couldn't keep track of the countless rocks flying in either direction. Kyra's small arms were constantly in motion, her body glowing with psychic power as she struggled to keep her foe's rocks away from her. Unfortunately, she was on the defensive, and Nosepass was stacking the odds against her by adding more and more rocks. Before long, she was surrounded by them.

"Nosepass, rock tomb," Roxanne directed, extending her hand and clenching it into a fist. Seth watched crestfallen as all of the rocks converged on her at once. Kyra attempted to teleport, but upon reappearing, the rocks hurtling through the air pelted her all at once, making her unable to avoid the hail of rocks. Moments Later, Kyra was enveloped purely by rocks, completely unable to move.

"Trainer Seth's Ralts is down!" the judge announced. Seth's spirits plummeted. He wasn't sorry for himself, but for Kyra, whom he'd know would be upset by this. She'd likely hoped to handle this on her own. "The field is now even once more, with both Trainer Seth and Leader Roxanne possessing one pokémon each!"

Roxanne snapped her fingers, and Nosepass released the fainted Kyra from its prison of rocks. "Your next pokémon I'm most curious about. I don't believe I've had the privilege to see one of that species in action," Roxanne stated.

Before answering, Seth ran out and scooped Kyra up from the ground in his arms, a potion already in his hand. A few squeezes of the trigger later, and Kyra was conscious again. The moment she realized she'd lost, she pouted and glared at the Nosepass.

"You did well, Kyra," Seth praised her nonetheless. "Shall we concede and try again another day? I know you wanted to…"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before she turned her glare on him. She jerked one of her limbs out at Nosepass, and then crossed her limbs. Seth winced, recognizing what she was trying to tell him.

"Okay, okay. I won't give up. I just knew you wanted to be the one to take the win," Seth conceded. He was surprised when Kyra shook her head. Seth could only reason that she perhaps had some other motive to challenge the gym that he didn't understand. However, he knew he didn't have the time to play twenty questions with her. Instead, he withdrew his second and final poké ball. "You didn't? Well, I guess I'll ask you about that later."

With a flick of his wrist, Princess appeared in the center of Seth's side of the field. The Milotic took a quick glance around, recognizing where she was and what was going on, but she didn't appear concerned. She yawned widely and leisurely stretched out her body on the rocky ground.

"What's this? Trainer Seth releases a rare pokémon onto the field; a Milotic!" The judge correctly identified Princess's species for the rest of the crowd.

The crowd appeared to be in awe of Princess, as Seth could hear them reacting to her favorably with cries of admiration. Princess drank in the attention at first, her eyes closing and her tail idly swaying back and forth. Yet, she wasn't oblivious to the presence of her foe. She turned her gaze towards Nosepass, and the already rising storm of rocks around its form.

"Same as before, Nosepass," Roxanne prompted her pokémon. Without a sound, Nosepass sent the storm of rocks hailing down upon Princess. Despite Seth's yells, Princess didn't bother to dodge as Nosepass once again executed the "rock tomb" technique.

Just as the rocks converged upon her, Princess repulsed them with an eruption of clear water that seemed to come from nowhere. Any rocks that managed to make it through left bruises, but like before, the injuries slowly faded away as though they'd never existed.

"Regeneration? Most intriguing; I've never seen a pokémon capable of such!" Roxanne exclaimed. Her eyes widened when the ribbon of water surrounding Princess landed on the ground and became a wave of water that rushed across the arena towards Nosepass. "Nosepass! Defend!"

Nosepass immediately recalled the storm of rocks and arranged them into a solid barrier several feet in front of it just in time to intercept the flood heading its way. The water surged into the rocky barrier with the force of an ocean wave. The barrier held briefly, but due to being made up of several smaller fragments, gaps were inevitably present. Water trickled in through these gaps, increasing the pressure on the barrier such that it soon collapsed.

Nosepass seemed distinctly uncomfortable as the water rushed over it, yet it didn't budge even an inch. Seth reasoned that it must be anchored to the ground through magnetism. Yet, the distraction was enough to leave an opening. At Seth's direction, Princess seized the opportunity and slithered forward on a trail of water, heading directly for Nosepass.

To retaliate, Nosepass caused each and every one of the rocky pillars in the arena to crumble and fall towards Princess. Yet, the serpent nimbly slid from side to side in order to avoid the debris. Seemingly nothing Nosepass did could prevent Princess from advancing.

"Nosepass, move!" Roxanne commanded, but it was too late. Princess reached the rocky pokémon and coiled tightly around it. Without giving Nosepass a chance to retaliate, Princess suffused the trapped pokémon with an endless cascade of water contained within its coils.

"Nosepass is no longer able to continue the battle! Trainer Seth has triumphed!" The judge called out with an air of finality. The crowd erupted in cheers around him, and Roxanne recalled her pokémon for treatment, a smile on her face despite her loss. She didn't even seem surprised.

Even as the reality of his victory sank in, Seth released a heavy sigh. He moved forward to greet Princess. "You were amazing, Princess," he complimented her, embracing her neck briefly. Princess crooned softly and nuzzled the side of his head.

"Seth, approach me, if you will," Roxanne requested. When Seth looked over to her, he spotted her accepted a gilded lacquer box from the judge. When she met his gaze, she beckoned to him. Seth sighed again and hesitantly did as he was told. "Excellently battled, my fellow trainer. I do believe you've passed my gym challenge with flying colors."

"I guess I did," Seth responded listlessly. Roxanne's brow wrinkled with confusion at his rather lackluster response, but she didn't comment on it. "So, what happens now?"

"Are you familiar with the concept of gym badges?" Roxanne asked as she unfastened the clamps on the glossy box she carried. Seth had a general idea, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to have her explain, so he shook his head. "Very well. Then I'll explain. For completing a gym challenge, you receive a commemorative badge. In this case, I'm pleased to present you with the Stone Badge."

Roxanne opened the lid of the box to reveal a shiny bronze badge consisting of two off-center right triangles resting atop a bed of black velvet. Seth gazed at the badge, enjoying the way the light reflected off of its surface. He realized she was waiting for him to take it, so he lifted it from its case to get a closer look.

The badge was thicker than he'd expected at first glance. On the back of the badge was a pin that would allow him to fasten it to clothing. Upon looking even closer, Seth noticed a string of numbers etched into the metal. He guessed it was a serial number of some sort.

"Once you've collected all eight from this region, you'll be granted access to a special tournament in Ever Grande City, where the winners will be able to challenge the top four trainers in Hoenn and perhaps even the champion," Roxanne continued. She closed the box and handed it back to the judge, who then left the area with it after offering his congratulations to Seth.

"Yeesh. Sounds like I have a lot of work ahead of me," Seth lamented with a wry smile as he pinned the Stone Badge to his shirt. He felt something tapping on his shin, which could only be Kyra. Seth chuckled, knelt down, and returned the Ralts to her favorite position on his shoulder. "I guess I should get going then."

"No doubt you must have plans to celebrate after this," Roxanne assumed with a nod of her head.

"Not really. I traveled here only with my pokémon," Seth corrected her with a shrug. "Instead, I plan to explore a bit more of the city. I've spent a few days here and I still feel as though there's lots more to see."

"Ah, I see. You wouldn't be wrong; Rustboro isn't Slateport by any means, but it has its fair share of attractions," Roxanne replied. She brought a finger to her chin, seeming to ponder something for a brief moment. "Might I assist in your endeavors?"

"Pardon?"

"I consider myself to be rather knowledgeable, as far as city attractions go. If you'd like, I could show you to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner," Roxanne offered. "After all, I have the rest of the evening free of challenges."

Seth couldn't answer at first. He was too busy trying to process the fact that Roxanne, a rather attractive gym leader, had just asked him to dinner. He wasn't sure how she should take this; according to May, societal standards and accepted practices here were very different than what he remembered, so he had no idea what the connotations of dinner with a girl were.

"Is something the matter? You look rather flushed," Roxanne pressed when she didn't get a response. The corners of her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly at the reaction she received.

"What? Oh, no. I mean, yes, I'll do it. The dinner, I mean," Seth stammered out in a rather undignified manner. Roxanne just laughed, making Seth blush even more. "What's so funny?"

"My apologies; I'm not laughing at you. I just didn't expect you to get so flustered over the concept of a dinner date," Roxanne explained, making her intentions rather clear. That clarification didn't help Seth's problem; his heart started to pound when he heard that she indeed view her offer as a date. "That's too cute. In all seriousness, however, I'd like to talk with you about that battle over a meal."

"Th-That's fair, I guess." Seth managed to compose himself, though his heart still raced in his chest.

"Then, shall we go? I do believe the crowd will have mostly dispersed by now," Roxanne suggested. Seth nodded, and after recalling Princess to her poké ball, he followed Roxanne back through the gym.

While Roxanne was mostly correct about the crowd, a few lingering onlookers approached them along the way to offer their praise and congratulations. Seth thanked them to be polite, but their words only made him more uncomfortable.

"Is something the matter?" Roxanne questioned as the two of them walked outside into the evening light. "You have been acting rather strange. Aren't you pleased with your victory?"

"Well, yes and no, really." Seth was surprised that she'd manage to pick up on his feelings so quickly. He was about to explain further when his phone began to ring. He thought to ignore it, but one look at the screen revealed the caller to be his mother. "I'm sorry; I should take this."

"Of course; take your time. There's plenty of time between now and the restaurant. Just follow me," Roxanne replied graciously. Seth gave her a grateful look and then pressed the answer button.

"Seth! Oh my gosh, I can't believe you took on a gym…your first gym…and won!" Seth held the phone slightly away from his ear as Caroline's excitement spilled through the speaker such that even Roxanne could hear. He was about to ask how she knew, but she wouldn't let him get a word in. "I'm so proud! Did you know you were on TV? I'm not kidding; check the Gyms of Hoenn channel for reruns! Have you called your father yet!? He'll be ecstatic to hear that…"

"I'm sorry about that," Seth apologized as he and Roxanne were seated at the restaurant.

"Don't be. Any mother would be excited to see their son attain glory on television," Roxanne responded kindly. "She seemed rather surprised that you decided to challenge a gym in the first place."

"She probably was. She knows I don't care for battling," Seth answered. His mind returned to her previous question about his gym victory. He wanted to ignore that topic, but judging from the look on Roxanne's face, she was likely going to bring that up next. "Going back to your earlier question, I'm not too satisfied with my victory."

"Why ever not? You trained your pokémon exceedingly well, and you adapted to the changing situation perfectly," Roxanne asked curiously. Just then, the waiter arrived, and the two of them took a moment to place their orders before continuing their conversation.

"It's hard to explain. I challenged you in the first place because I wanted Kyra to enjoy herself, but she didn't make it all the way through," Seth did his best to explain. "I feel as though there was something else I could have done to help her get through."

"Seth, it's hardly fair for you to expect a single pokémon to make it through an entire gym challenge on their own," Roxanne pointed out with a hint of incredulity in her tone. "Besides, your Ralts…Kyra…did an incredible job defeating my Geodude. Her loss to Nosepass was a result of a bad matchup; that's all."

"How is Kyra supposed to enjoy herself if she can't win against a certain pokémon?" Seth demanded, finding that idea rather unfair. He suddenly felt a tap on his head, coming from an annoyed Kyra. There was something in her mind that Seth didn't quite understand.

"I don't believe you're thinking about pokémon battles quite right. A pokémon's job is to battle to the best of their capabilities when sent out into the field. Kyra did that quite well," Roxanne explained. "The trainer's job is to ensure that each pokémon in his repertoire is used in the best possible fashion. He must recognize when a situation or match-up is unsuited for his pokémon, and switch to adjust. Sometimes this can mean not using a pokémon at all in a particular battle."

"Hold on; you're saying I should have pulled Kyra out against your Nosepass?" Seth questioned. When Roxanne nodded, he gave a light scoff. "But I told you, the whole reason I'm doing this is for her."

"I heard you. Does it seem like Kyra is dissatisfied with that outcome to you?" Roxanne indicated Kyra, who hopped off of Seth's shoulder onto the table. Kyra seemed rather annoyed with him for not understanding what was in her head, but Seth could tell that she was pleased with the previous battle.

"I don't get it. You lost, didn't you?" Seth expressed helplessly. Kyra's only response was a nonchalant shrug. "You don't care? So just the act of battling itself was what you wanted?"

Kyra nodded, a smile returning to her face. Seth once again had to revise the way he thought about battles and how to best make Kyra happy.

"So, if I'm understanding you correctly, you'd be happy as long as I just battled to win?" Seth tried once more. Kyra nodded again, causing Seth to sigh. "This is more difficult than I'd ever thought it would be."

"No one said training pokémon was easy," Roxanne pointed out with a smile as the waiter arrived with their drinks. She lifted her glass of iced tea and sipped at it.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Roxanne," Seth returned, feeling much better about the situation. "I mean that. You've really gone above and beyond to help me out, even though I'm sure you're very busy."

"Oh, please don't worry. It's an honest pleasure to help an aspiring trainer such as yourself along his way. Though you're somewhat of a unique case, as there's something about you that catches my eye. I believe you have the potential to make it through the league if you really put your mind to it," Roxanne responded encouragingly. Seth blinked; he hadn't been expecting something like that from a gym leader. "There's nothing more enjoyable to me than seeing someone I've helped educate strive to ever greater heights."

"I appreciate the kind words," Seth returned, reaching for his glass of water. Roxanne pondered for a moment, and then she leaned forward, resting her chin on a hand.

"Additionally, you're quite cute, if I may say so." It was as he was drinking that Roxanne chose to drop this particular bombshell. Seth choked on his drink, the blush returning to his cheeks. Between the previous revelation that he was on a dinner date as well as her compliments, Seth began to see that he was being flirted with. He had no idea how to react. "That's precisely what I mean. You get flustered quite easily; it's adorable."

"Pardon me if I can't fathom why a pretty gym leader like yourself would take an interest in me," Seth retorted with what little of his pride he had left, yet it only seemed to make Roxanne more amused. "Besides, I'm not cute…"

"If you say so." Roxanne didn't seem convinced in the slightest. Seth huffed, doing his best to ignore both her and Kyra, who also seemed rather amused. Despite this, Seth could feel Roxanne's gaze resting on him. "I appreciate you calling me pretty, by the way. Don't think I missed that."

Before Seth could muster a proper response, their food arrived, providing him with a much needed escape from that awkward conversation.

"What did you think? That was one of my favorite restaurants in the city," Roxanne asked once the two of them had paid and left the building. Seth was already starting to walk back towards his hotel room, and Roxanne was keeping pace with him.

"It wasn't bad; I'm stuffed. I'm gonna try and work some of this off on my way back tonight," Seth replied, heaving a satisfied sigh. The restaurant had been somewhat expensive, eating out of his ever dwindling supply of money. Thankfully the gym had rewarded him with enough money to fund his travels for quite some time. When Roxanne didn't answer, he looked over to see her looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite place, her eyes tracing down across his body. It felt odd, so he had to ask. "What is it?"

"Hm?" Roxanne appeared distracted, but she quickly composed herself. "Oh, my apologies. I was merely…considering what to do with the rest of my night."

"I was just planning on walking back to my hotel room. It won't be long until I'll be leaving town," Seth supplied. Despite saying that, Roxanne made no attempts to break away from him. His mind started to race. "Did…you come up with anything?"

"I have a few ideas." Roxanne bit her lip, eyeing him appreciatively. Seth nearly leapt out of his skin when he felt her hand brushing against his shoulder. If it hadn't already been clear, Seth knew now without a doubt that Roxanne had some interest in him. He had never pictured a girl with her intellect being into that sort of thing, but then again there was much he didn't know about Hoenn society. "Would you mind if I…tarried with you a while longer?"

"Is that…I mean…are you sure? I wouldn't want to…that is, I…" Seth once again cursed his inability to form a coherent thought when he was embarrassed or uncertain.

Roxanne appeared uncertain herself at his response, her hand retreating somewhat. "Oh, was I too bold? Are you not interested?" she questioned anxiously. It made Seth feel a little better to know that it wasn't just him that had trouble talking about this sort of thing openly. "I'm terribly sorry if that's the case."

"It's not that I'm not interested; I just didn't see it coming. After all, I'm a newbie trainer and you're gym leader," Seth pointed out. Roxanne let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about that. Position means little when it comes to the needs of the flesh," Roxanne reassured him rather bluntly. Seth couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how formal she was being about this. "We've both had a long, trying day, so shall we relieve some of that stress together as friends?"

"How can I say no to that?" Seth conceded, scratching the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "I'm still getting used to the way this kind of thing is treated here in Hoenn."

"Understandable. It can be quite the shock to those from other regions. But enough about that." A mischievous glimmer appeared in Roxanne's eyes. Before he knew it, she had latched onto one of his arms and pulling him forward. "Come on, I believe I know which hotel you're in."

They hardly spoke for the remainder of the walk back to the hotel. Seth was attempting to mentally prepare himself for what was about to happen…with mixed results. The more he thought about it, the more nervous…and turned on…he became. He couldn't believe this was happening.

As the reality of the situation sank in, Seth found himself becoming more aware of Roxanne's more enticing aspects – the way her leotards clung tightly to her shapely legs, the way the her plush lips were ever so slightly parted as her breath quickened, and the way she her fingers were already loosening her collar. By the time they reached the hotel room, Seth found that he had trouble fitting the key into the lock.

There was no further conversation. No other words needed to be spoken. The moment the door closed behind them, Roxanne pressed Seth up against the wall, her lips rushing to capture his in the blink of an eye. His thoughts abandoned, Seth closed his eyes and kissed her back fervently, his clothes suddenly feeling too warm.

Roxanne wasted no time in unzipping Seth's jacket. He offered her no resistance, letting his arms fall limp so she could remove it without much trouble. As they kissed, articles of clothing fell to the floor one by one, neither one paying much attention where they landed. Seth found it hard to breathe, but he couldn't tear himself away from her for very long.

While all of this was going on, Kyra hopped to the floor and onto the dresser, recognizing the situation for what it was. She watched with interest as her trainer made out with the gym leader with a fervent passion.

Seth couldn't wait any longer. He grasped Roxanne's shoulders and turned the two of them around so that she was the one up against the wall. He pressed his body up against hers, planting his lips against her neck as his hands worked to slide off her shirt. Roxanne emitted a soft moan, leaning her head back against the wall.

On the outside, Roxanne appeared prim and proper, with a modest uniform and meticulously styled hair. Thus, seeing her heaving chest laid bare before him protected only by a thin pink bra was driving him wild.

"You're gorgeous." Seth couldn't help but compliment her as he let her bra fall to the floor. If he had to compare, her breasts were somewhat smaller than May's, but just as attractive. He cupped one of them with one hand, feeling the soft flesh beneath his fingers.

"I'm glad you think so. Some don't find the bookish sort very attractive," Roxanne replied breathlessly. Despite her flushed cheeks and the compromising situation they were in, she still stuck to her stiff and formal speech. "Luckily for you, I find the fair of face equally as attractive."

"You're calling me effeminate, aren't you?" Seth grumbled a bit, much to Roxanne's amusement.

"That wasn't the word I used, but you clearly see that in yourself, or you wouldn't have mentioned it," Roxanne pointed out. She wiggled her hips, grinding up against Seth's crotch as she slowly rolled down her pink leotards. She chuckled at Seth's annoyance. "Don't complain. It's clearly done you some favors."

"Can't argue with that," Seth muttered. His annoyance melted away instantly, however, as he felt Roxanne's fingers tugging at his pants. He blushed and breathed in sharply as she pulled them down to expose his fully hardened shaft that had been begging to get free. "Roxanne…"

"Don't be shy…I'm observant enough to know that you desire this," Roxanne soothed him with soft words. They shared another brief kiss, and then Roxanne turned around, pressing her butt against his shaft. He could see that she wanted it just as much as he did, as a clearly visible wet spot was visible on her pink panties. She hooked one thumb into her underwear and pulled them down just far enough to reveal herself to him. "It's been quite some time, so I'd appreciate if you took it slow at first. I'll let you know when you can speed up."

Seth swallowed, gazing at her tantalizingly pink slit that oozed steadily with her own arousal. He placed his hands on her butt, finding it to be rather easy to grip. He looked up at her one last time. Seeing Roxanne bent over and naked like this in front of him, with her arms braced against the wall and her head turned just slightly with a lustful expression on her face, made him marvel once again at her beauty as well as his own luck.

He licked his lips and gently pushed his hips forward. It took a moment to find Roxanne's entrance, but she was patient enough to guide him to it. Once he'd found it, he humped forward, spreading her folds and entering her at last. Roxanne let out a soft gasp, her face tensing up while she got used to Seth's girth.

"Nngh…ah! I…I believe you're in," Roxanne panted just as Seth's hips pressed firmly against her butt. Now that he was all the way in, Seth could feel her velvety inner walls closing about him, a comfortable heat enveloping his crotch. She looked back at him, a blush permanently etched onto her cheeks. "Okay…I believe I'm ready."

Seth didn't need any more encouragement. Squeezing her butt with one hand while bracing against her shoulder with the other, he began to thrust into her, starting at a slow pace as she'd requested. She wasn't nearly as tight as Kyra was, but that couldn't be avoided; Kyra was much smaller. Despite this, it wasn't any less pleasurable.

"Ahh, I needed this…" Roxanne moaned. She responded to his thrusts by rocking her hips back to meet him, helping him get even deeper. She leaned forward even further, grinding up against him every time their hips came up against one another. "You may move faster, if you want."

Seth complied, moving at a more comfortable pace for him. Roxanne shuddered beneath his grip, clearly enjoying his efforts. After spending time with multiple girls like this, Seth found it that it was getting easier to tell when they reached a climax. Roxanne in particular would screw up her face and moan loader, her body convulsing and clamping down on him.

The longer they went at it, the more Roxanne's hair went into disarray. Eventually, her hair slipped out of their well-maintained curls and fell down around her back and face in a curtain of silky brown strands. Seth gazed at her in awe as he pounded her, unable to believe he was looking at the same girl.

"You look really…ngh…hot with your hair down…" Seth had to tell her, though it was getting harder to talk as he grew closer to his own climax.

"I'd like…aah…to think so…but I don't let it down…nn...often…aah, I'm cumming again!" Roxanne gasped, her crotch growing every warmer with her juices. She squirmed uncomfortably against the wall. "Do you mind if we move to the bed?"

"Not at all," Seth replied gratefully. It was getting harder to find leverage in his current position, as he was starting to sweat and his feet were slipping on the floor. He gently withdrew from Roxanne and allowed her to stand. He once again watched her, marveling at her beauty. When she stood up, her hair fell down her back, revealing its true length to be nearly at her waist.

Roxanne climbed onto the bed, kicking away her panties in the process. She laid on her back and lifted up her legs to reveal her waiting entrance. Seth couldn't resist that view. He climbed up after her, descending upon her and grasping her ankles with both hands. He scooted in close and after taking a moment to position himself, plunged back inside of her. The room was once against filled with the slapping of flesh on flesh and the moans of both trainers.

Roxanne came once again with a high pitched cry, wetting the sheets. "Kyaaaa! That's…five times now… are you close?" Roxanne asked softly as Seth returned to his previous pace.

"Y-Yeah…I've been told…I last…a while!" Seth gasped. He held onto her thighs as leverage as he continued to thrust, her shins resting atop his shoulders. He couldn't help but speed up even further. Then, all of a sudden, his climax snuck up on him, and he came all at once. "Ahh! Mmmhh…Roxanne! C-Cumming…!"

Roxanne screwed her eyes shut and smiled, her legs crossing over Seth's back to hold him there as he emptied himself inside of her, his shaft throbbing and his body surging with pleasure.

Seth panted heavily and leaned against Roxanne as he came down from his orgasm. He then felt his own warm seed trickling down over his shaft, causing him to realize what he'd just done.

"I…I came inside of you. Is that okay?" Seth asked timidly, his heart pounding. It would be really bad if he got her pregnant.

"Of course. I believe that should I want to have a fling, I should take the necessary steps to prepare myself, and prevent any unwanted accidents," Roxanne reassured him, much to his relief. She tilted her head in confusion when Seth chuckled as a response. "What's so funny?"

"Just you. We just had sex, and you're still talking so formally," Seth answered. "I'm jealous…I can't string two words together when I'm…you know…horny."

"I…I can't help it. This is just how I normally talk," Roxanne defended herself, pouting somewhat. She puffed up, looking somewhat haughty in her expression. "It comes with being educated."

Seth shook his head wryly and pulled out of Roxanne, his seed spilling out of her and dripping onto the sheets as he did so. He laid on the bed beside her and attempted to catch his breath.

"This has been…a day," Seth commented, unable to think of any other way to describe it. "I went from training the forest, to battling you, to being in bed with you. I wonder if I should buy a lotto ticket too and see if my luck holds."

"You'll have to share the winnings with me," Roxanne joked. She glanced down between her legs at the mess the two of them had made. She licked her lips and brushed her lengthy hair away from her face. "That was quite enjoyable. Would you like to go again?"

"Again? That's possible?" Seth cluelessly asked. At Roxanne's confused expression, he hastily explained. "Sorry, I'm still rather new to all this. I uh…lost my virginity only this month."

"You don't say? Well, I do suppose that explains it." Roxanne reached over, and before Seth realized what was going on, she grasped his length and gave it a stroke, her fingers sliding over the still damp flesh. He winced, finding it to be much more sensitive than it was before. "Men do sometimes have trouble going more than once, but it's certainly possible. It may just take a little longer to climax…which works in my favor."

"I guess it does…" Seth let out a soft sigh, feeling himself starting to harden again due to Roxanne's ministrations. He picked himself up, even as the gym leader was starting to mount him. "I think I can give it another shot."

"That's good to hear. You're not bad, for someone new to sex," Roxanne complimented him, and then she lowered herself down on him. Seth grasped her butt, and the two of them began to make love once again.

He couldn't even remember when they stopped having sex and when he actually fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmigosh, hi! I'm still alive, I promise! I know I took a month or so off but I have a (not?) so good excuse! Persona 5 and Tales of Berseria. I think that speaks for itself!
> 
> Back on track, thank you all so much for sitting through this ginormous chapter! It seems that I'm hitting my minimum word count rather early before I'm even halfway through what I have planned for the chapter. This chapter was just meant to be beating Roxanne and then doing the naughty with her, but silly me couldn't bring myself to skip past any possible character interaction.
> 
> I also wanted to thank you for your lovely reviews and your suggestions for other pokemon for Seth to have fun with. I do have to tell you all, however, that Seth's team is more or less set in stone (though there is one new opening because I no longer need an HM slave). So most of your suggestions will go unheeded (unless you got lucky enough to guess one of my favorites), I'm sorry to say. That doesn't mean I can't try to work them in as another trainer's pokemon!
> 
> Also, a super important shoutout to the only person that guessed (and guessed correctly) who the four fishermen were. They were from Final Fantasy XV: Noctis as Connie, Gladiolus as Douglas, Gin as Ignis, and Prompto as Tom. As I promised, he gets to have a kiss from one of Seth's pokemon! Unfortunately, he reviewed as a guest, so I don't have a name. So I'm giving you a name. You are from here on out, Mr...uh, I'm not good with names...Hidden Mystery. There, that's the best I've got.
> 
> Princess curls around Hidden's body, slowly moving her head up and around until she was looking into his eyes. She crooned softly, and pressed her lips up against his.
> 
> There! When I say I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it!
> 
> Anyway, everyone knows that after this comes another battle with May and with Team Aqua! Provided I haven't lost all my readers by now. Thanks again for reading this far, and I hope to hear from some of you! I always like to know if my readers are having a good time~


	8. To Rusturf and Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a fun filled night with Roxanne, Seth sets out to explore more of the city. However, he runs into an old acquaintance from Devon Corporation, and it looks like even May is in town. Who knows what kind of shenanigans Seth will find himself in now?

It was a bright morning in the city of Rustboro, the morning sun trickling through the windows of the hotel room. While the cleaning ladies were typically very meticulous in their day to day cleaning, they would have their work cut out for them due to the antics of this particular room's inhabitants.

The bedroom was a mess; hastily removed clothes belonging to both genders littered the floor, the bedsheets were askew and stained with various bodily fluids, and the stench of sweat hung heavily in the air. The cleaning lady would have her work cut out for her.

The common area, or more specifically the kitchen, was also in a sorry state. Unlike the bedroom, the kitchen's current state was the result of activities far more recent. 

"Aaah! More, Seth! Please!" Roxanne's half naked body was pressed onto the hard surface of the table, her arms pinned down by the firm grip of her lover and her hair hanging loosely over the opposite end. Also naked, Seth held her firmly down against the table and continuously thrust up into her, probing her sensitive depths and driving the both of them wild with lust.

"Roxanne!" Seth's silky black hair rippled with his every motion. Every time he thrust into Roxanne, his skin slapped against hers and the table shuddered from the impact. Ever so often, he had to adjust his position as the table gradually made its way across the kitchen floor.

On the table were an assortment of plates and glasses for which their still cooking breakfast was intended, though as a result of their feverish lovemaking, half of them had scattered or fallen to the floor. One of the few remaining plates on the table was covered with an assortment of bluish berries, from which Kyra was leisurely snacking while she watched her trainer and the gym leader having sex with interest.

It hadn't taken much for this to happen. Upon waking up from slumber, Seth had walked into the kitchen to see Roxanne cooking breakfast while wearing only a short translucent nightie with no underwear, such that her shapely butt was on full display. In a rare show of assertiveness, Seth had come onto her from behind. He had originally intended just to hug her, but once her body was up against his and he could feel her gently squirming beneath him, he'd quickly lost control and kissed her neck, thus resulting in the current scene.

However, just as Seth could feel his climax approaching, he heard his phone ringing from the table beside him. Obviously he was occupied at the moment, but he paused, recognizing the ringtone to be that of his father, who hardly ever called. Thus, Seth slowed his thrusting to a stop and grabbed his phone, much to Roxanne's disappointment.

"Must you take that call? I'm so close," Roxanne complained, her face flushed and her chest heaving. She wrapped her slender legs around Seth's waist, attempting to pull him in closer. 

"I have to...my father hardly ever calls me," Seth lamented. When he saw her dissatisfied face, he felt guilty enough to reveal to her. "My father is Norman, from Petalburg."

"Really? I thought you looked somewhat familiar," Roxanne returns with a surprised expression. Seth did his best to ignore how strange it was to be having a normal conversation with her while buried up to his hilt inside of her. Every slight motion sent pleasurable sensations racing through him, reminding him of how close he was to orgasm. "That also explains why you're so attractive...but yes, do make it quick, if you can."

Seth nodded, and then he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Seth, I wanted to talk to you.” Norman was as straightforward as always in his greeting to him. “I managed to catch your match with Roxanne on TV yesterday. I wanted to take a moment to talk about your strategies, if you have time.”

Norman was ecstatic. He wouldn’t sound like it to the casual observer, but Seth knew his father well enough to recognize the subtle change in his voice. Seth looked down at Roxanne, his shaft still half inside of her and slick with her juices. As much as he wanted to finish, he also didn’t want to disappoint his father, with whom he never spent that much time due to their difference in opinion towards pokemon battles.

“I suppose I have a few minutes. How did you know I would be on TV?” Seth responded, much to Roxanne’s annoyance. 

“Your mother called me the moment you walked into the arena.” Norman revealed. “More importantly, your battle between Kyra and Roxanne’s geodude was rather impressive. That matchup was stacked in her favor, counting her experience and the home field advantage, but you managed to pull it off, albeit barely. Have you done much training with Kyra?”

“I mean, I’ve battled trainers with her occasionally, if that’s what you mean,” Seth replied. He flinched and clapped a hand to his mouth to stifle a moan as Roxanne squirmed on the table, her folds shifting on his shaft. His heart pounded, hoping that his father hadn’t heard.

“I was talking about your battle strategies. You’re good, so you’ve likely already noticed that you can’t give your pokemon detailed orders on the field, else you risk the other trainer adapting,” Norman continued. Despite his predicament, Seth recognized the truth in his words. He’d been unable to learn anything from Roxanne’s orders, as she’d labeled her strategies with different letters. “Do you understand how to circumvent that disadvantage?”

“By coming up with a strategy beforehand,” Seth realized. “But you won’t always know what’s coming up in the next battle, so how do you adjust?”

“You’re right; you won’t always know. This is an obstacle each trainer must learn to overcome in order to progress. You may find it best to practice general strategies that can be swapped between on the field, or you may be the type to gather information before a battle. Either way, I suggest you work on developing your own style, so that what happened with Nosepass won’t happen again,” Norman advised. “Which reminds me...how did you manage to find a Milotic? I only know of one other trainer with a pokemon that rare, and she’s a league champion.”

“Really? I knew she was rare, but not to that extent,” Seth replied with awe. He glanced down at the pokeball on his belt that contained Princess. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Suddenly, before he could say anything further, he felt the telltale feeling of psychic energies gently massaging his shaft where it intersected Roxanne’s entrance. Seth couldn’t help but grunt with pleasure. “Unnh...Kyra, stop that!”

“Are you alright?” Norman asked curiously. Seth glared at Kyra, who simply stuck out her tongue in response. She didn’t stop her teasing, and Seth knew he wouldn’t last very long in a coherent conversation if she kept that up.

“Yeah, Kyra just...dropped her bowl on my foot,” Seth lied hastily. “To answer your question, I caught her as a Feebas at the beach outside Petalburg. It took two of us to bring her in.”

“So, you witnessed a pokemon evolve. I’m curious, but I have a gym challenge to prepare for.” Norman at last brought the call to a close, much to Seth’s relief. “You should try heading for Dewford if you can find passage; the gym there should prove as a suitable next goal. If you still intend to complete the league.”

“I’ve already started so...Kyra, please stop...I might as well keep going. It might be some time before I get there though; Hoenn is a big place.” Seth squeezed his eyes shut and did everything he could to hold back, but Kyra’s ministrations were merciless. Even Roxanne was feeling it, her hand clapped to her mouth to keep from moaning aloud. “Anyway, if you have to go, you can go. I plan to explore Rustboro a little longer before leaving.”

“Very well. Enjoy your trip, and keep me posted on your progress,” Norman replied, and then at long last, Seth heard him hang up with a click. 

“Finally!” Seth cried with relief, and then he clamped his hands tightly on Roxanne’s butt and began to thrust once again, causing Roxanne to gasp aloud and bite her lip, her blush returning. Unfortunately, thanks to Kyra constant edging, he didn’t last too long before he came, spilling his seed deep inside of the gym leader. “Mmff...cumming! Hah...Kyra, you little brat.”

“Your Ralts is...quite the troublemaker I see,” Roxanne panted, hissing slightly as Seth pulled out of her, cum seeping from her folds. Kyra innocently cooed, looking completely unrepentant. Roxanne shook her head, and then she rose from the table. She immediately grabbed a napkin and moved it to her crotch. “Whoops, it’s trickling down my leg.”

She then moved to the stove just in time to prevent their meal from burning. She glanced back at him with a smile. “Maybe I should start covering up in the mornings; apparently you can’t control yourself.”

Seth blushed and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, you were just standing there and…I couldn’t help but want to...you were…”

“Relax, I’m only teasing,” Roxanne assured me, loading our food onto plates and setting the table for us. “Come, let’s eat, and then we can clean up.”

Seth nodded, and then he released Princess from her pokeball so that she could join them as well. Princess crooned and stretched out her body, proving to be long enough to encircle the table completely. She rested her head on Seth’s shoulder as he ate, so he reached up and stroked her face every so often. 

“She’s positively breathtaking,” Roxanne commented, gazing at Princess with admiration. “The way the light catches her skin reminds me of a rainbow. You’re very lucky.”

“I really am. Between her and Kyra, I’ve found very good companions. I couldn’t ask for better,” Seth agreed readily, his cheek brushing up against that of Princess. He shot Kyra a pointed look. “Even if one of them likes to prank me. I swear, I never knew she had a mischievous side.”

“Do you often engage in sexual acts with your pokemon?” Roxanne asked curiously, taking Seth by surprise. He then remembered Roxanne had witnessed and experienced Kyra’s antics; he had been caught. When she noticed his blush, Roxanne smiled. “I’ve no issue with it if you do. Pokephilia is actually rather common in this region.”

“So I’m beginning to understand. It’s...still rather new to me. But to answer your question, I do. They seem to be more than willing, especially Kyra,” Seth answered shyly. “What about you?”

“Sexual acts are but another means of intimacy between a pokemon and his or her trainer. Of course all pokemon have their individual habits, but I think it’s something to be treasured,” Roxanne expresses. “As for me, I don’t do it often. Rock pokemon aren’t typically easy on the skin.”

“I can imagine. I’m glad you don’t judge me. I’m still getting used to Hoenn’s societal norms,” Seth admitted. “Where I came from is...basically the exact opposite of here.”

“This region has its perks; Girls such as myself would likely be called some rather nasty names in other regions,” Roxanne remarked. Seth sighed, knowing that she was right. “Now then, let’s finish our meal and get on with our day.”

“That sounds good.”

* * *

Once they’d finished their meal and cleaned up the kitchen to the best of their ability, Roxanne and Seth made their way out of the hotel. On the way, Seth decided to check out of his hotel. While winning the gym battle did provide him with some prize money, he wouldn’t be able to stay for very long in the city due to its higher cost of living.

“What are your plans from here?” Roxanne asked him as they walked out onto the streets. “I imagine you’ll be proceeding with your league challenge.”

“Kyra won’t let me quit,” Seth replied wryly, reaching a finger up to brush the Ralts’s hair from where she sat on his shoulder. “My father recommended Dewford as my next destination. That’s across the sea according to my map.”

“It is, but it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to reach by boat,” Roxanne assured him. “There’s public transport to the island from here, if you head to the docks just south of the industrial district. It will cost you a decent amount for a ticket, however.”

“Thanks for the directions. I think I’ll look around a bit more before I leave,” Seth said, repeating what he’d said to Norman over the phone. “The city is very big and I feel like there’s still so much to see.”

“I can understand that. I almost want to ask you to stay; I’ve slept with you, but I’d also like to learn more about you,” Roxanne reveals, causing Seth to blush slightly. “But that would be foolish. You’ve a long journey ahead of you, and I shan’t distract you from it.”

“I can always come back later,” Seth offered. “It’s a big city, and I can hardly say I’ve experienced it all just by wandering around once. So I’ll have plenty of reasons to return.”

“I’m glad to hear that. In fact, to facilitate your return should you ever feel the need, shall we exchange contact information?” Roxanne responded, retrieving an unfamiliar device from her pocket. It was roughly oval shaped with a blue orb set in the center. She hit the orb with her thumb, and the device opened up, the back half unfolding upwards to reveal a high tech LCD screen. 

“I’d love to, but what is that you’re holding? I’ve never seen anything like it,” Seth asked, stepping closer. Roxanne angled it towards him so that he could get a better look.

“This? This is a PokeNav. It’s the most recent advance in mobile communications technology,” Roxanne explained. On the screen, Seth could see could a streamlined user interface consisting of multiple buttons, labeled contacts, map, photos, and condition. He recalled Tom telling him earlier that if he wanted pictures from their fishing experience, he would need one.

“Oh yeah, made by Devon Corporation,” Seth recalled. Roxanne nodded to show that he was correct. “I guess it is a straight upgrade from this simple cell phone I’ve been using, but it’s probably outside of my price range at the moment.”

“If you keep improving your battling skills, it shan’t be long before you’ve plenty of wealth,” Roxanne reminded him. The two of them swapped devices, such that Roxanne held his cell phone, and Seth held the PokeNav. It didn’t seem to have any kind of keyboard for him to use, so he gazed at it in confusion until he had the presence of mind to tap the two buttons beneath the screen that allowed him to navigate.

With their numbers exchanged, Seth retrieved his cell phone and glanced at the screen, noting that he now had several numbers on his list: his parents, Jasmine, Tom, May, and now Roxanne. It was odd to have so many contacts after years of having only three.

“Give me a call if you’re ever back in town, or even if you simply need some pointers. I am still a teacher, after all,” Roxanne told him with a smile. With one last hug, the two of them parted ways. “Do take care of yourself, Seth!”

Seth waved to her as she went, and then he was by himself in the streets, with only Princess and Kyra to keep him company. Like always, Kyra sat on his shoulder, and Princess hovered just above the ground behind him. It occurred to him that he could put either of them in their pokeballs, but the idea didn’t much appeal to him.

“Alright! Where shall I go today?” Seth asked aloud, mostly to himself as he knew his pokemon would have little idea the layout of the town. “Perhaps I should go check out this Devon Corporation I keep hearing about. I doubt they’ll let me in, but it might be nice just to see the place.”

Kyra hummed in response. Whether that was an agreement or not, Seth wouldn’t be able to tell, but he decided to go anyway. With that destination in mind, Seth once again began to meander through the streets of the city. It stood to reason that the corporation would be close to the industrial sector of town, so Seth made that his general direction as he wandered.

In the process, Seth found himself walking through the market district. Compared to the other parts of town, the market was crammed full of people visiting the countless malls, shops, and department stores the city had to offer. As he glanced over the products on display in the windows of the different stores, Seth found that he had to remind himself of his own budget, as well as the space in his bag. There were so many interesting knick-knacks and souvenirs to which he found his gaze drawn, but he didn’t have the money or the space to purchase them. Such was the cost of his nomadic lifestyle.

That being said, he did spend some money at a few of the various food stalls around the district when it neared lunch time. He bought himself a small boxed pizza, along with a few specialized snacks for Kyra and Princess, though it was a challenge finding something that Princess would eat. After stopping for a time to eat, Seth moved on, eventually leaving the market district.

It wasn’t hard to find Devon Corporation. Even if he had managed to miss the various signs, vehicles, and buildings bearing the corporation’s logo, it would be impossible to miss the Devon headquarters. 

The headquarters consisted of three separate buildings, each one located close together and towering over their surroundings. Like the rest of the city, it was made primarily out of stone to give it an old fashioned appearance.The corporate grounds were fenced off, but the gates were open and surprisingly enough, pedestrian traffic was passing in and out. Seth noted a school bus driving through the gates, carrying a load of children likely on a field trip.

“Interesting…” Seth noted. He altered his path and joined the throng of pedestrians, figuring that if they were open to the public, a look inside wouldn’t hurt. As he was passing through the gates, he became aware of a commotion up ahead. He could hear indistinct yelling, and it became clearer with every passing second.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a blue and white striped shirt and a blue bandana burst from the crowd on the other side of the street, a briefcase clutched tightly in his hands. The man was sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, no matter who or what he knocked aside in the process.

Seth recognized him in an instant, a bolt of adrenaline and horror rushing through his system. It was Eric, the member of Team Aqua that he’d met in the forest a few days ago. It didn't take him long to understand what was going on. Eric had failed to get the briefcase from Hester back in the forest, and it didn’t seem like he was the type to give up. It appeared he had finally succeeded.

“Somebody, stop that man! We...We can’t let him have that briefcase!” Which would make the man chasing after him at a rapidly deteriorating pace Hester, the field scientist. Yet, not a soul raised a hand to help him, instead just watching the scene unfold with interest or just straight up ignoring it, not wanting to get involved. “Please...anybody!”

Seth hesitated, despite the looks both Kyra and Princess were giving him. Unlike before in the forest, he was not in any danger. Therefore, this wasn’t necessarily his problem. Getting involved with this situation before nearly ended in his death, and the death of his pokemon. If Princess hadn’t evolved...he didn’t even want to think about what might have happened.

But, assuming that Eric still had the same pokemon, and the same tactics...Seth considered that he might have the edge this time around if he did face the criminal again. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived at that conclusion, Eric had run out of sight, the crowded sidewalks serving to obscure his fleeing form.

“Is there something I can do to help?” Seth approached Hester, wondering if he was going to end up regretting getting involved. Hester recognized him instantly, hope lighting up his beleaguered face.

“Oh, Seth! It’s good to see you. That Team Aqua grunt got the jump on me,” Hester lamented. “If we’re quick, we might be able to catch him before he leaves town. WIll you help me again?”

“I’ve already fought him once; a second time shouldn’t be an issue,” Seth responded with a nod. Hester looked appreciative, and then the two of them broke into a run, Kyra clinging tightly to Seth’s neck to keep from falling. “How did he catch you? I thought that whatever is in that briefcase would be safe in your headquarters by now.”

“The briefcase actually carries blueprints for a cutting edge system we’re developing. I can’t tell you much, but the reason I brought them here to Rustboro in the first place was to get them checked over and approved by experts. Now, I was supposed to take them to Slateport, but...I didn’t expect that grunt to be waiting for me right outside,” Hester explained as they ran. Just ahead, Seth could make out the disturbances in the crowd from where Eric was running. “I’m so glad you happened to be around. Without you, I would have had to go to the police, and they never would have caught him in time.”

“We might not even catch him in time,” Seth reminded him as the distance widened between them and Eric. “I hope you have some ideas.”

“I do. I don’t think Team Aqua has any real presence in Rustboro, so I don’t think this grunt is very familiar with the city. If he keeps going the way he’s going, he’ll eventually end up on Route 116. If that’s the case…” Hester pointed Seth towards a side street. “This way. I know a shortcut through the side streets that avoids the intersections. We’ll head him off at the city exit.”

Trusting Hester’s expertise, Seth followed the scientist into the side street, cutting through dark alleys and crossing simple one way streets as opposed to intersections. As they ran, Seth felt himself slowly draining in stamina. While he wasn’t weak, he was more used to slow walks, as opposed to sprints like this...especially when he was carrying all of his travel gear with him.

Hester’s knowledge of the city soon paid off, and as the two of them cut down to the south, they came right across the final intersection that led out of the city, where Eric could be seen walking towards it casually, no doubt believing that he had lost them. However, Eric quickly spotted them, his eyes bugging out in surprise when he recognized Seth, or more likely, Princess.

“Zubat, stop them!” Eric commanded as he ran, throwing out a pokeball into the street. His Zubat emerged in a flash of light and immediately spat corrosive poison up at the power lines ahead, dissolving the rubber and causing the lines to split and fall, their ends sparking with lethal electricity.

“Kyra!” Seth called out. As if reading his mind, Kyra lifted her little arms and focused hard, managing to catch the lines with her telekinesis and redirect them just in time for Seth to pass safely.

The distraction had bought Eric just enough time to accost a nearby civilian who had just unlocked his bike from a nearby rack. The man could only yelp before Eric planted his fist ruthlessly into his eye, knocking him down, where his head smacked against the hard concrete. Eric leapt onto the bike and pedaled as fast as he could out of the city, his Zubat flapping hard behind to keep up with him.

Seth, being the closest, made the decision to come to a halt and help the fallen man, who was still conscious, but had taken a nasty hit; one that would likely require treatment. 

“Hey, are you alright? Answer me,” Seth asked the man, leaning down to check the extent of his wounds. He winced when he saw the damage; the back of man’s head was bloody from the impact. All the man could muster was a groan before he fell unconscious. Seth panicked, unsure what to do. “Hey! Uh…somebody help!”

“Somebody call the police!” Hester arrived and knelt down by Seth’s side. “Seth, I’ll take care of him. I know a thing or two about first aid. Can I ask you to go after the briefcase?”

“Uh…” It took Seth a moment to recognize that Hester was talking to him. The scene of Eric punching out an innocent man kept replaying in his mind; he’d never seen such violence between humans play out before his eyes before. Only when Kyra sensed his emotions and hugged his neck did he snap back to reality. “I’ll never catch up to him. He’s on a bike now, and I’m already exhausted. I’m sorry...I didn't think he would do something like that.”

“Don’t worry.” Surprisingly, Hester appeared triumphant, despite the hopelessness of the situation. Hester clenched his hand into a fist. “We’ve got him.”

“How do you mean?” Seth asked. He watched as Hester produced white cloth from his coat with which to treat the unconscious man with.

“Can your Milotic produce cold water?” Hester asked, holding out the cloth to Princess. Princess responded by forming a point of blue light before the tip of her nose, from which clear water poured, soaking the cloth. Satisfied, Hester began to wrap the man’s wound, holding his head still. “That grunt got here around when we did. Assuming he was waiting for me the whole time, he likely doesn’t know that Route 116’s tunnel construction was shut down a day or so ago, just before its projected completion date. There’s nowhere for him to go.”

“That’s...wow.” Seth was impressed by Hester’s ability to plan ahead despite how desperate he had seemed. Despite the scientist’s lack of trained pokemon, his knowledge nd experience more than made up for it. “So it’s just a matter of me cornering him in the tunnel? How do you know he won’t just run off into the forest?”

“The forest of Route 116 is incredibly thick. Even if he could navigate through it, it would be pitch dark and he’d be prone to getting lost or set upon by vicious pokemon. I don’t think even he is that stupid. Even should he stick to the path, before long he won’t even be able to ride that bike,” Hester reassured him. In the distance, the sounds of police sirens filled the air, no doubt heralding the imminent arrival of an ambulance. “Looks like the police are on their way. I really appreciate your help, Seth. I really can’t thank you enough for this.”

“It’s no trouble. Actually...I’m a little invested in this now,” Seth’s words were grim. He stood to his feet, stroking Princess as he turned towards the exit out of the city. “I just watched a man get assaulted in broad daylight, just for his bike. Talking tough is one thing, but to actually do it...these Team Aqua members are just criminals.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Now go on ahead, I’ll be alright here,” Hester responded. Seth nodded, and then with his pokemon in tow, he exited the city.

* * *

As Seth passed through the building that let into the route, he noticed a rack of brochures detailing Route 116. The rack was mostly empty, but there were a few left, so Seth grabbed one of them out of curiosity. He took a glance over its contents as he left the building, finding a list of attractions and a detailing of Rusturf Tunnel, which was being built through the mountains.

The tunnel was a joint effort between Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town to bridge the two settlements. According to the brochure, Verdanturf was a beautiful resort town, so Seth deduced that their reason for extending the proposal was to benefit from the huge increase in revenue from tourism that such a path would generate. Additionally, it seemed like Rustboro would have appreciated having an extra source of customers for its heavy industrial base as well.

As far as Seth was concerned, all he knew was that Wally, the cute man he’d met back in Petalburg, said that he lived in Verdanturf Town. Such that he was a little disappointed despite the situation that the tunnel was shut down; he wouldn’t have minded seeing Wally again.

As he walked, Seth realized that Kyra was poking at his neck lightly. “Hm, is something the matter?” Seth asked her. Kyra gave a sad hum, and she hugged his neck again. He smiled warmly, recognizing the gesture for what it was. “You’re worried about me? I guess I can’t blame you; I’m still a little shaken up. I’ve never seen someone hurt like that before.”

“I didn’t think something like this would happen to us on this journey,” Seth admitted. He kicked a rock off the crest of a hill, finding some small satisfaction from the sound it made as it fell into the leaves of the underbrush. “I expected to just explore the region and battle as we went, but dealing with criminals...it’s a little much.”

“So here’s the idea; as soon as I deal with Eric, I’m done with Team Aqua. I say we should leave them to the authorities,” Seth resolved. Talking to Kyra like this helped him feel a little better, causing him to feel even more appreciative for her presence. He knew she could likely feel that from him, but he decided to voice it anyway. “Thanks, Kyra… for listening.”

Kyra tapped his cheek. Seth turned his head towards her just in time to feel her tiny lips pressing against his in a brief kiss. Seth flushed; he hadn’t expected the affection, but he liked it nonetheless. Now that he was in a better state of mind, he forged ahead through the thickening forest.

In the distance, Seth could see the mountains in the distance.The path grew hillier the more he traveled in their direction, and it became much more difficult to traverse. Roots from the surrounding trees started to cut through the path, and the underbrush grew deeper. Before long, Seth came across a discarded bike lying on the ground. Sure enough, the path ahead rendered the usage of wheels impractical.

Eventually, night fell, forcing Seth to pitch his tent on the side of the path, in a small clearing betwixt the trees. He crawled inside and made as if to tuck himself into his sleeping bag, but Princess’s presence made such a thing redundant. She coiled around him and formed a passable imitation of a bed with her body, her head resting on his chest. Seth found it very easy to get comfortable, and he soon drifted away to sleep with Kyra’s tiny body cradled in his arms.

The following morning, Seth woke early and set out once more, determined to make it to the mountains before the afternoon. As it turned out, he had made better time yesterday than he’d thought, and it was only a few more hours before he entered an area that resembled civilization.

It would be more precise to say that he’d entered a construction zone. There was a small entrance to the highway, several construction vehicles, and a few mobile living areas the workers likely used to rest. There were also multitudes of trainers in the area, a few of them already battling. Seth went out of his way to avoid passing any trainers; he had more on his plate than battling with trainers.

Seth could see a rocky cliff face in the distance, in which a dark hole served as the opening to the tunnel proper, though it didn’t look as though it had seen any real use. There was another one of those mobile homes several meters away, in front of which an older man was speaking animatedly with two other men dressed in the attire of construction workers. Seth could tell that something was wrong due to the way that the old man was favoring one side.

“...understand! My dearest friend, Peeko, is inside with that thug! I know that the pokemon inside are easily startled, but…” the older man was saying to the two workers. He was a thin man, with a bald head and a full white beard coating the lower portion of his face. At the moment, he seemed very distressed. He stopped in the middle of his sentence when he noticed Seth approaching. “Oh, hello, young one. I hope you didn’t have to overhear that bit of nasty business.”

“I did, but that’s okay. My name’s Seth, and I’m here pursuing someone.” Seth addressed him. “By ‘thug,’ you don’t mean a man dressed a blue and white shirt and a headband, carrying a briefcase?”

“Why, yes, that’s precisely the one” the old man responded, turning away from the two workers to give Seth his full attention. The two workers, now that they weren’t being spoken to, retreated, walking back into the mobile home and shutting the door. “Does he happen to be the one you’re pursuing?”

“Yes; I’ve been chasing him all the way from the city,” Seth replied. The man started to look very hopeful after hearing that. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about me. It’s nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. Still, thank the heavens you’ve come!” the old man grabbed one of Seth’s hands with both of his and shook it with a surprising amount of vigor considering his age. “Pardon my terrible manners; I’m Jim Briney. If I could ask you to find that thug for me and get back Peeko for me, I’d be forever grateful.”

“Peeko?” Seth repeated, prompting Jim for more information. 

“Peeko is a Wingull, and my closest, most treasured friend. That thug took him from me, saying old men like me didn’t deserve to have a pokemon, and then he attacked me when I tried to teach him a lesson,” Jim explained anxiously. “Please, save my Peeko. I couldn’t imagine a life without him.”

“That’s despicable,” Seth responded. He didn’t think it was possible for his opinion of Eric to drop any lower, but attacking an innocent old man like Jim and stealing his pokemon… Seth’s desire to find Eric and make him pay for what he’s done only grew stronger after hearing that. “Don’t worry; I’ll get your pokemon back for you. Where can I find him?”

“Oh, bless you, young man! He ran into the tunnel; I don’t think he knows that construction was sealed because of all of the Whismur inside. He should still be inside,” Jim answered. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“Leave it to me,” Seth responded with a reassuring smile. With that, he stepped away from Jim and headed towards the entrance to the tunnel. “I’ll be back.”

Seth entered the tunnel, finding it to be well lit by incandescent bulbs dotting the support structures every few meters. The ground was churned up by the treads of the construction vehicles that once passed through and was still very much uneven. It didn’t appear that the company in charge of construction got around to paving before the project was shut down.

“Alright, you two. You should remember his team from the last time we fought him.” Seth started to come up a plan, cracking his knuckles. “He had a Zubat, and a Poochyena, and we know he’ll use them both at the same time. Listen closely; here’s what I have in mind…”

* * *

Eric did a double take when he saw Seth approaching him from around the bend. Nothing but a sheer rock wall lay at the end of the tunnel, the spot where the construction workers had decided to stop digging. There was nowhere for him to go, and he knew it.

“It’s you...the one with that damned fish.” Eric took several steps back, setting down the briefcase he carried. He wasted no time in releasing his two pokemon; Zubat and Poochyena appeared in a flash of light. Seth noted the presence of a third pokeball at his belt as well...which was likely the Wingull Jim mentioned. “You followed me all the way here from Rustboro?”

“That should be self-evident. I have no further words for you. Give back the briefcase and the pokemon you stole.” Seth was surprised at the way his own words sounded. He’d never disliked someone more than the man before him, and it was clearly evident in his tone. 

“You must be joking. You think you’re some tough guy, just because you beat me once?” Eric bristled at Seth’s words, enunciating his question with a chop of his hand. “You took me by surprise before; this time, I’m ready for you! So if you're coming, then come on! I’ll teach you to take me lightly!”

“Kyra, Princess.” Deciding that further talk was pointless for a man like Eric, Seth addressed both of his pokemon, the Ralts and the Milotic positioned on either side of him. Kyra blinked forward with her teleportation, and Princess slithered forward on a thin sheet of conjured water. “Remember the plan. Teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget.”

“Take down his worthless pokemon, Poochyena, Zubat!” Eric ordered his pokemon in response, and they swiftly closed the distance between them and Seth’s pokemon, who remained still, waiting for their approach.

Poochyena did exactly what Seth expected; it nimbly leapt from side to side to avoid Princess’s jets of water, and then it made a beeline for Kyra, whose psychic abilities they both knew wouldn’t affect it. 

Likewise, Zubat headed for Princess, keeping a healthy distance between them while lobbing blobs of venom towards her. In other words, they were attempting to avoid their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths. Precisely as Seth had anticipated.

Two things happened at once. Princess circled around Kyra and met Poochyena’s lunge with a whip of her tail, knocking it to the ground ruthlessly. Then, as Zubat swooped in to capitalize on Princess’s opening, Kyra leapt atop Princess’s tail, who then used it to propel to Ralts straight up into the air.

“What!?” Eric gasped in shock. Kyra flew directly towards Zubat and grabbed it with her telekinesis, holding it tight so it couldn’t escape. She somersaulted once, and then as she fell, she used the force of gravity to slam the bat right into the ground, knocking it out instantly. “But that’s…”

The Poochyena suddenly found itself between Kyra and Princess, both of them advancing upon it at once. The pup dithered a bit, not knowing what else to do.

“Attack the Ralts, you dumb mutt!” Eric snapped at it desperately. 

The Poochyena moved to do so, breaking into a run. Kyra smiled, and then she teleported just as the pup lunged. The Poochyena skidded upon landing and it planted its from claws into the ground, using its momentum to wheel around to face Princess and Kyra, who was standing on the former’s head.

Princess released a jet of high powered water towards the Poochyena, who immediately dodged...but it didn’t expect Kyra to grasp the water with her telekinesis and bring it around to hit the pup from behind. The downside of using such a technique caused the water jet to lose some of its force, but it was more than enough to push Poochyena towards Princess, who stopped its path midway with a vicious tail whip, knocking the pup out instantly.

“But...my pokemon…” Eric was speechless at how easily he had been defeated. Seth clenched his fist, viewing the results of the battle with satisfaction; his plan had gone off without a hitch. None of his pokemon had even taken a hit. “But I...so easily…!? How!?”

“Kyra, cut off his retreat,” Seth ordered. Eric looked up with horror as Seth approached him rapidly, Kyra moving to prevent him from running away.

“Wait, hold on...don’t…!” Eric cowered up against the rock, but it wasn’t enough to stop Seth from reaching him...and punching him straight in the eye. Eric cried out with pain and fell back against the wall. Seth retracted his fist; despite how much his knuckles ached from the impact, he couldn’t deny that it felt good. 

“That’s for the man whose bike you stole,” Seth informed him coldly. He then reached down and grabbed Eric’s remaining pokeball from his belt, the team member too busy nursing his eye to resist. Finally, he picked up the briefcase and began to walk back towards the entrance to the tunnel. “Hopefully this will teach you not to hurt anyone else. Don’t let me see you again.”

With nothing but Eric’s whimpers as a response, Seth made his way back to the entrance. As he did so, he glanced at the fist with which he’d struck Eric. Before now, Seth had never laid a hand on anyone with the intent to hurt them. He was a little unsettled by how easy it had been, and how good it had felt.

“I’ve learned something about myself today,” Seth murmured. He leaned down and let Kyra leap up to his shoulder, where she was so fond of sitting. “It always used to make me so sad whenever I’d hear about people getting hurt...is this what I’m like when I’m in a position to do something about it? Is this normal?” 

Kyra’s response was just to hug his neck. As Seth knew, she couldn’t answer him. He supposed he would have to think about this tonight in the tent.

* * *

“You’re back! Is everything alright? Did you find my Peeko?” Jim greeted Seth eagerly the moment he spotted him emerging from the tunnel. The old man looked so hopeful that Seth wasted no time in producing the pokeball from his belt and releasing it before him. From within appeared a bird-like pokemon whose body was made up mostly of its head, beak, and two wings. The old man’s face lit up with a bright smile of relief and happiness as the Wingull flew into his arms. “You did! Oh, Peeko, my darling! I don’t know what I would do without you!”

Seth watched the display of happiness with a smile on his face. His uneasiness towards his earlier uncharacteristically violent actions abated somewhat before the warm feeling he now felt. Going to the extra effort now seemed worth it, if he could bring such happiness to someone else.

“I don’t know how I can thank you, Seth. No amount of money could possibly make up for my Peeko’s return.” Jim turned back to Seth and shook his hand with fervent gratefulness.

“That’s okay. To be honest, I originally came to help out a researcher from Rustboro, so I wouldn’t feel right taking payment from you,” Seth explained. “I helped because I happened to see you.”

“Nonsense! You did more than those useless construction workers did.” Jim glared back in the direction of the mobile homes. “Still, I must thank you somehow. Hm...tell you what. If you ever need to cross the seas down south, come find me at my cottage west of Petalburg. I’ve got a boat I could take you in. Should save you some money!”

“That’s...actually really thoughtful of you.” Seth found himself taken aback by Jim’s generosity. That would save him a considerable amount of money, especially when the time came for him to head to Dewford like his father had said. “I gratefully accept your generous offer. I’ll likely take you up on that in the future.”

“Then I look forward to sailing with you! Do take care, and be safe on your way back to the city.” Jim shook his hand one last time, and then he turned back to the wooded area, walking away with his Wingull flying close behind him. “Let’s go, Peeko! There’s adventures to be had yet!”

Seth watched him go for a time, and then he decided to return to Rustboro. He decided he would take his time on the way back, now that there were no pressing concerns burdening his mind. Still pondering over the events in the cave, Seth set out back the way he’d come. That night, Seth lay awake for a long time, talking aloud to Kyra to ease his thoughts while he gently stroked her hair.

* * *

Upon returning to the city, Seth made his way back to Devon Corporation, this time managing to make it through the gate without any further effort. Seth walked by the fountain in the front of the main building, admiring its craftsmanship briefly before entering the main building. 

 

The two security guards at the entrance didn’t hinder him nor any of the other people walked in and out. Curious, Seth asked one of them, and discovered that the bottom floor of the main building was open to the public.

Seth walked inside and whistled to himself at the interior. The first room was extensively large with a tiled floor colored tan and brown. The center of the floor was dominated by a circular depression filled with flowing water over sand, where what looked to be fossils and other bones could be seen. The depression was covered with a glass floor, allowing people to walk right over it.

He made his way through the crowd and walked up to the counter. He wasn’t sure who he should give the briefcase to, so he awkwardly asked for Hester from one of the receptionists on duty. In the process, Seth had to give both his name and show his personal identification. He supposed the extra security wasn’t surprising. 

Hester soon emerged from one of the elevators, the researcher’s face lighting up with joy when he spotted Seth. “Seth, you made it back!” he exclaimed, the man moving to join him. Seth stood up from where he had been sitting, passing over the briefcase. “You even brought back our goods! I, no all of Devon Corporation thanks you for your timely help.”

“I just did what I could because I happened to be there,” Seth confessed. Although he felt good about the gratitude he was receiving, it was still a relatively new feeling for him. Before coming to Hoenn, he’d never done anything to warrant attention like this. “I hope everything goes well for you from this point forward. Maybe a little extra security wouldn’t hurt?”

“About that...if you’re not in a rush, would you care to come with me to the upper levels?” Hester asked, the man looking noticeably more excited. Seth was confused by that offer; only company executives were allowed on the upper levels. When Hester noticed his confusion, he explained. “After you left for Rusturf Tunnel, I had to report to the CEO of the company about what had happened. He expressed a desire to meet you when you returned.”

“The CEO?!” Seth could only echo in shock. For large corporations like Devon, the chances of a civilian getting an appointment with the CEO were almost zero; people like that hardly had time for anything other than managing the future of their company. “He really wants to see me? I’m just a wandering trainer!”

“I don’t think you understand, Seth. This briefcase you brought back for us is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at the very least. Not only did you help defend company assets from known criminals once, you also traveled well out of your way at risk to yourself to get them back for us, and stayed true to your word. The less scrupulous might have sold the briefcase to a rival company for their own benefit,” Hester pointed out seriously. “That’s more than enough to get any CEO’s attention.”

“I suppose so, but if you thought that there was a chance I would sell the briefcase, why did you send me?” Seth questioned curiously.

“I decided to trust you. After watching you battle that thug in the woods and seeing the way you treated your pokemon, I couldn’t imagine you stabbing me in the back for your own benefit. I didn’t know for certain, but I decided to trust my gut,” Hester clapped Seth on the back in a friendly manner. “And it seems like I was right. So, are you coming with me?”

“Right now?” Seth could only let out a sigh in an attempt to relieve some of the stress he was feeling. The thought of meeting the CEO of a company on such short notice was overwhelming. When Hester nodded, Seth gulped. Thanks to Kyra brushing up against him, he managed to gather his courage. “Alright. Lead the way, I suppose. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m a little nervous.”

“Don’t be. President Stone is a nice man; very approachable,” Hester patted his shoulder in reassurance. There didn’t look to be enough room in the Elevator for Princess, so Seth recalled her to her pokeball, feeling bad that he had to do so. The two of them entered the elevator along with a few other people, where Hester hit the button for the top floor. They ascended in silence, until the elevator was empty. “He’s already positively predisposed towards you, so you also have that working in your favor.”

When the elevator came to a stop, the doors opened to reveal a single, smaller room: the CEO’s office. The moment Seth stepped out of the elevator, he found himself meeting the gaze of a stocky man who looked to be in his early fifties sitting behind a fancy desk. Seth had no doubt that he was looking at the CEO.

“Ah, I was hoping to meet you,” the CEO greeted Seth in particular as he and Hester moved towards the center of the room, where a glass table surrounded by plush cushions was situated. The older man rose from his chair and met them in by the table, shaking Seth’s hand politely. “I’m Jonathan Stone, the CEO of Devon Corporation. You must be the one I’ve heard so much about. I hear you saved our staff not once, but twice?”

“I guess I did,” Seth replied at first, and then he immediately cursed how timid he sounded. He made an extra effort to sound more confident the next time he spoke. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Stone. I’m Seth Rhines.”

“Rhines?” Much to Seth’s surprise, Jonathan seemed to recognize that name. A small grin crossed his face. “You’re Norman’s child? No wonder you made such short work of that pesky Team Aqua thug, then.”

“You know of my father?” Seth asked, not missing the fact that Hester was showing surprise and awe as well, hinting that he too was also familiar. 

“I do. Please, take a seat,” Jonathan offered, indicating the table before them. Seth picked one of the cushions and sat across from him, Kyra hopping down onto the table to gaze over at the CEO curiously. “My son, Steven, is heavily involved in the pokemon league, so I keep up to date with comings and goings of new trainers and gym leaders. I heard from our city’s resident gym leader, Roxanne, that your father had moved his family into Hoenn very recently. I hadn’t heard that his son had decided to become a trainer as well, so this is quite the pleasant surprise.”

“Oh..okay,” Seth awkwardly replied. He had no idea what to say in response to that. He knew his father was an excellent trainer, but to find that word of him had reached so far, so fast was rather shocking.

“Pardon me for rambling. My son always tells me I have too much to say.” Jonathan laughed merrily. “That’s not why I wanted to see you, however. I wanted to thank you with more than words, and to ask a favor of you.”

“A favor?”

“That’s right! You’ve brought our valuable company secrets back to me across a considerable distance, showing that you’re a man of integrity. My company has little in the way of strong trainers now that my son has taken to wandering, so I was hoping to enlist your services once more.” Jonathan beckoned to Hester, who then gave the older man the briefcase. Jonathan placed it on the table and slid it back over to Seth. “Would you be willing to protect this briefcase for me a while longer? I need someone to deliver it for me.”

“You would trust me with something so valuable? As a trainer, I’m still just a beginner!” Seth protested, the gravity of the situation growing too much for him to handle. 

“A beginner with the skills to fight off a member of a criminal organization without breaking a sweat, I hear,” Jonathan remarked. Seth was about to argue that the thug had nearly killed him before, but the CEO wasn’t quite finished. “Mr. Briney and I are good friends, so I heard that a trainer matching your name and description aided him at Rusturf Tunnel. No need to be modest. You’ve more than earned my attention.”

“Isn’t that Team Aqua still going to try to come after it, and by extension, me?” Seth didn’t much like the idea of exploring Hoenn while being chased by criminals. The very idea was terrifying, and it put a damper on his enthusiasm for his journey. “What do they even want with it?”

“I have an inkling as to their intentions. As Hester may have told you, they are blueprints and other more physical components needed to construct our latest technology; a new means of pressure distribution for submersibles. Team Aqua must be planning reach something far underwater,” Jonathan revealed. Seth nodded, finding that reasonable, given Team Aqua’s focus on the sea. “They likely won’t give up, but they’ll never expect us to have sent it with you. I don’t expect you’ll run into any problems.”

“I don’t know…”

“Of course, I’m not going to ask you to do this for nothing. I’ll compensate you very well. Here.” Jonathan stood up and retrieved an object from beneath his desk. He placed it on the desk, but he held his hand over it until he was ready to reveal it. “First, I’d like to present you with the newest model of our PokeNav mobile device.”

Seth gaped when the man removed his hand to reveal a brand new unopened box with the image of the device printed upon it. He recalled the one he’d seen Roxanne using, and understood that if he accepted this, he’d be able to upgrade his phone far earlier than anticipated. Jonathan beamed at his expression.

“That’s not all. Given the amount of time and money you’ve saved me by keeping these blueprints from the wrong hands…” Jonathan produced a checkbook and scribbled down an amount, which he then pushed across the table for Seth to look at. Seth looked down at the figure and his jaw dropped. “...this is nothing.”

“This is...this is too much. I can’t accept this,” was Seth’s immediate response. With the amount of money he was being presented with, he could buy a brand new car in full. “I really just happened to be there when all this was going on.”

“Yet you went out of your way to help us...twice. I insist, Seth. As I said, it would have cost me significantly more had Team Aqua made off with those plans…and who knows what fiendish plans they would have carried out with them.” Jonathan made no indication of taking back the check. “I consider myself a generous man, so there’ll be more where this came from if you do me this favor.”

Seth glanced down at Kyra, who had lifted the check in her telekinesis and was inspecting it closely. When she noticed him looking, she placed it down and looked at him curiously. Seth didn’t know what to do next. It sounded like a good deal, but this was a lot to take in at once. Kyra just lifted her arms as if to say “it’s your decision.”

“Alright, I’ll do it. I’m already this far in,” Seth decided, much to the relief of both Jonathan and Hester. “Where would I be taking these plans?”

“They need to be delivered to Captain Stern, in Slateport. He runs the shipyard and also the Oceanic Museum,” Jonathan answered. He then placed one more thing onto the table; an envelope addressed to Steven Stone. “One last thing; if you head to Slateport by sea, could you make a stop by Dewford and deliver this letter to my son? Mr. Briney would take you, seeing as you helped him out and all.”

“I suppose that works. I was planning to go to Dewford anyway, to continue my league challenge,” Seth sighed, realizing that he’d been saddled with several troublesome tasks. He took the check from Kyra, figuring that the money was at least very welcome. He could live comfortably on this for quite some time. 

“Excellent! Allow me to thank again for your continued help.” Jonathan beamed at Seth’s acquiescence. He rose from the table, as did Seth, and two shook hands one last time. “Now then, Hester, if you would assist the young man with getting his PokeNav activated so he can get on this way.”

“Right away,” Hester responded as he called the elevator. He looked at Seth expectantly. “Right then! Shall we?”

* * *

Activating the PokeNav took a little over an hour, as it required that Seth have an account with Devon Corporation, who would be his cell provider for all intents and purposes. He also had to select a plan to use, but those were thankfully simple to understand and were cheap to use, the monthly cost almost being negligible compared to Seth’s new pool of money. After that, it needed to be connected to the mobile network and his contacts needed to be transferred over.

As soon as he was finished there, Seth fit the briefcase in his pack, barely managing to squeeze it in amongst his other essentials. He winced, feeling the weight of his pack increase. It was still nothing he couldn’t handle, but it would slow him down somewhat. Then, he bid farewell to Hester and left the Devon Corporation, once again free to his own devices.

After cashing the check he received from Jonathan, Seth made his way to a small cafe and ordered dinner for himself, Kyra, and Princess. While he waited for his food, he experimented with the PokeNav until he learned his way around its various functions. The first thing he did was send a message to Tom. 

Tom responded almost immediately; the device was pinging almost constantly as picture messages came in one after the other. Not only did Seth see pictures of the time he spent with the four of them, he also saw images of him pulling in Princess with Connie. There was even a shot of the four friends riding in an ornate black car together, each of them waving at the camera. That particular picture was addressed to Seth in particular, earning a smile from him. It was a shame they were so far away now; Seth really had enjoyed their company.

With a smirk, Seth informed Tom of Princess’s evolution, and before he knew it, he was in a group conversation with them all. 

Douglas: I don’t believe you

Douglas: Everyone knows Feebas are pointless to train

Gin: It wouldn’t be the first time a pokemon possessed a hidden evolution. 

Gin: Scyther, for instance.

Connie: I want to see. Do you have a picture, S?

Douglas: Oh boy Connie’s interested now :P

Connie: Shove it, big guy.

Seth: I don’t have a camera, sadly.

Tom: ASFJSADGKJSG

Tom: HOW DO YOU NOT HAVE A CAMERA!?!?

Tom: GET A CAMERA AND SHOW US!!!!

Seth chuckled to himself as the conversation went on. He supposed having a camera would be a worthwhile investment, so he made a mental note to get one before he left town. He messaged them one last time, and then he dug into his food.

He didn’t get much peace before a call came in for him. When he saw it was from May, he opened the device and accepted the call. She’d just wanted to check in on him, and after a few moments, she revealed that she too, was in Rustboro.

* * *

“Seth, hey! I haven’t seen you since I left Littleroot!” He met May near the edge of the Gym district, the girl rushing up to greet him. She was dressed in her usual red outfit, with a notable two pokeballs at her waist, as opposed to one. It seemed as though May hadn’t been inactive either. 

Seth was completely unprepared for May to rush up and hug him tightly, her arms sliding around the back of his neck. Her scent filled his nostrils, causing him to shift as he was reminded very strongly of their various escapades together. May drew her head back, her nose only inches away from his and her lips set into a cheeky smile. Seth managed to stutter half a greeting before she swooped in, her lips pressing up against his in a deep kiss.

He blushed as she held him tighter, her head turning just enough and her lips parting. Seth realized with shock that she was holding the kiss much longer than would be socially acceptable. Yet, as a few of the trainers laughed and whistled at them as they passed by, he hesitantly reciprocated, remembering that he was no longer in Johto and those social rules were no longer present.

May eventually had to break away, due to Kyra poking her cheek in annoyance from her position on his shoulder. “Alright, you jealous thing, I’m done.” May pouted, she and Kyra exchanging glares. She then noticed Seth’s face. “Oh wow, you’re so red! Come on, that was just a greeting!”

“Shut up,” Seth stammered, serving only to amuse May more. 

“I’ve missed you. You are still just the cutest thing,” May teased, poking him lightly on the cheek. Seth averted his eyes; he didn’t know how it was possible to feel this embarrassed. “So? What brings you all the way out here to the city? Did you decide on what you wanted to do?” 

“I did. I spoke to my father, and I was convinced to try the League Challenge,” Seth admitted. “I’m not too crazy about it, but as long as Kyra’s having fun, that’s all I care about.”

“Yes! That’s great! So you’ve come here to challenge Roxanne then, huh?” May rested her hands on her knees, stretching out her muscles.

“I actually already have.” For the first time, Seth saw real shock from May as he showed her the case that held his very first badge. “It was pretty rough, but I made it through.”

“Did you now? I’m impressed! Roxanne may be the first gym leader new trainers challenge, but she’s still very tough. Congratulations!” May whistled in awe. A grin slowly crossed her face. A sinking feeling came over him upon seeing it. “Tell you what, I want to see how much you’ve improved. Shall we battle right here?”

“Right here? Now?” Seth had a feeling this was coming. Kyra grew visibly excited, the Ralts leaping off his shoulder to the ground and hopping in place. Seth sighed, glancing at Kyra. No doubt she was excited to have another chance to fight Crux, the Duskull that had defeated her in her first real trainer battle. Seth gently fingered the second pokeball at his waist. If May didn’t even know that he’d defeated Roxanne, then she wouldn’t know about Princess, either.

“Yeah, why not? Nothing says all pokeman battles have to be out on routes. Come on, show me what you’ve got!” May retrieved one of her pokeballs and unleashed a familiar bug pokemon that Seth had encountered in Petalburg Woods: a Nincada. “You like him? I caught him in the woods on the way here. He’s a fast little thing, so I named him Kotaro!”

“Like the ninja, huh?” Seth noticed that other trainers immediately moved out of their way the moment it looked like they were setting up for a battle. Some of them even stuck around to watch the outcome, glancing at our pokemon with interest.

“Exactly like the ninja! You know your stuff!” May seemed pleased that he’d picked up on the origin of her Nincada’s name. “For our wager...if you lose, you’re mine for the night.”

“Oh wow, I uh...see you haven’t changed,” Seth’s blush returned at the connotations of her words. “What happens if I win?”

“I’m yours for the night.”

“What’s the difference?” Either way he looked at it, that just seemed like May wanted to have sex with him regardless of the outcome. He suddenly felt very subconscious beneath her gaze.

“Choice of position,” May finally said, loud enough for some of the other trainers to hear. The result was several of them whistling and cheering to show their approval of the wager. Seth even heard one or two expressing their jealousy for him. “Now then, Kotaro, show me what you can do. Attack his Ralts!”

With that, the battle began. The Nincada was indeed very fast. He zipped erratically to the side, leaping from the ground to the wall of the nearby building and crawling along it. When he came into range, he propelled himself off of the side of the building and lashed out with its claws at Kyra…

...only to be immediately caught in her telekinesis. Kyra made a clicking sound with her tongue, as if chiding the Nincada. She whipped the insect in a circle and slammed it into the ground, the Ralts attempting to end the battle right there. Surprisingly, the Nincada didn’t seem all that affected by the impact.

“Kotaro’s got a very hard shell, so don’t think you can knock him out that easily!” May revealed to him. Kotaro chittered and attacked Kyra immediately with his claws, but she teleported away a few feet. Unfortunately, due to being in the city, Kyra couldn’t use any debris as projectiles.

This soon resulted in a standstill. Kotaro was fast enough to place pressure on Kyra regardless of her teleportation, forcing her to use telekinesis to force him away. Yet despite the thrashing she was giving him, Kotaro didn’t appear to be taking much damage. Yet, Seth’s mind calculated that at this pace, Kyra would be able to win in time...at the cost of her mental strength. She’d be in no shape to fight Crux.

“Kyra, time for a change in strategy. Remember the moves we’ve been working on?” Seth reminded her calmly, deciding that now was the best time to put their rehearsed strategies into action. He hadn’t needed it against Eric, but May was an excellent trainer. “Use them!”

Kyra stopped running from Kotaro, and once again caught him in her telekinesis. Yet this time, instead of using it to deal physical damage, Kyra focused her efforts inward, her psychic energy attacking the Nincada’s mind directly. Kotaro froze, its eyes shrinking to pinpricks and its claws waving wildly.

This time, when Kyra repulsed Kotaro, the Nincada didn’t recover nearly as easily. Instead, it ran completely the wrong direction, its eyes unfocused and darting from one place to another swiftly. In the end, Kotaro ran right into the wall of the building, knocking itself out.

The onlooking trainers cheered in approval, and Seth noticed that their number was steadily growing. He also noted that the school building nearby had let out for the evening, and their students were steadily joining the throng. Their little impromptu match had grown to take up the entirety of the street, with a makeshift ring made entirely out of spectators.

To his shock, Roxanne soon joined them, the gym leader making her way to the front of the crowd. Seth gulped, realizing that there was now more at stake here than just the evening. Dread filled him, especially as May recalled Kotaro and reached for Crux. 

“Not a bad trick! I see you’ve learned how status conditions work,” May complimented him. She clicked the button on her remaining pokeball, and released a wisp of black smoke that soon formed into the dark shape of Crux, the Duskull. “Don’t relax just yet! Crux, you know what to do!”

“Kyra! Countermeasures!” Seth called out as Crux zipped into the skies. Kyra nodded, and before Crux could fire off even a single beam of darkness, she focused her energy and she would appear to split into four versions of herself. When Crux fired his first beam, it struck one of the images, passing through it harmlessly.

“Oh, you’re trying to counteract Crux’s foresight! Smart!” 

Seth ignored May’s compliments, each of them sounding more like gloats to him rather than genuine compliments. Instead, he wracked his brain for a solution as Kyra worked hard and teleported around to avoid Crux’s onslaught of shadowy beams. He just couldn’t figure out a way for Kyra to reach Crux without any debris to use.

“What’s the matter? You’re faring worse than you did outside of Odale~” Now May was getting smug, causing Seth to scowl. He wanted to tell her that it was due to the lack of debris, but it wouldn’t change what he was dealing with at the moment.

Kyra’s last image was blown away by one of Crux’s beams, and in order to dodge the next one, she teleported behind a nearby street sign...which snapped right off at the point where it met the concrete. Kyra immediately grasped the street sign with her telekinesis and hurled it up at Crux, managing to smack him right in his skull.

Even as May covered her mouth in shock, Crux’s glowing eye narrowed. He was still in the fight, and it seemed like the Duskull was angry now. He zipped across the street at a speed that Seth could barely follow, disappearing into the shadow of the nearby building. Before Kyra could figure out his location, Crux shot out of the shadows and streaked towards Kyra directly.

She didn’t have enough time to focus her telekinesis. Instead, she was forced to lift her barrier, which shattered after the first hit. Crux zipped around like a Beedrill, striking Kyra again and again, much to Seth’s horror. Kyra weakly lifted an arm to catch Crux, but the Duskull’s eye flashed, and it moved just enough to avoid her efforts, no doubt using foresight again. It then hit her with a beam of shadow at close range, knocking her right out.

“Kyra! Blast it!” Seth cursed, already rushing to her side. He retrieved a potion and brought her back to the edge of the street, where he nursed her back to health. A sense of bitterness formed inside of him as the other trainers cheered for May. “I’m sorry...it doesn’t look like we’re good enough to fight her just yet.”

“You say that now, but you have a second pokemon, don’t you? Let’s see it!” May expressed eagerly. “I want to see what kind of pokemon are your type!”

She didn’t need to say anything. Kyra had already pulled Princess’s pokeball off of Seth’s belt with what remained of her psychic energy. As her telekinetic grip faded out, Seth caught the ball and grasped it tightly. This was the only card he had left. As much as he didn’t want Princess to steal Kyra’s victory away from her, he didn’t want to lose to May again.

May and the rest of the onlookers watched in awe as Princess appeared from her pokeball in the street, the beautiful sea serpent reflecting the evening sun off of her iridescent scales. She let out a cry and gazed seriously at Crux, the Duskull floating in midair serenely.

“Where in Hoenn did you get that?!” May exclaimed, looking utterly dumbfounded. Seth took some small pleasure from that reaction; this was the first time that something he’d done had truly managed to shock her.

“I went fishing,” Seth said simply with a smirk. He wasn’t about to tell her the specifics on how he got her. “Princess, that ghost is your target. Watch out for his foresight.”

“I’ve only ever seen a pokemon like that in the world championships! I can’t wait to see what it can do!” May exulted. “Crux, give it everything you’ve got!”

Crux immediately fired a beam down at Princess, but it was countered by a similarly sized stream of water from the serpent. Crux paused briefly, and then began to circle Princess, unleashing a storm of beams down at her. It quickly became apparent that Crux could fire those beams faster than Princess could counter with water. Yet, despite the beams striking Princess dead on, she merely shrugged them off.

“She even regenerates! What a rare pokemon! I’m sooo jealous,” May expressed as she watched the burns slowly fade from Princess’s body. Seth did his best not to gloat at that; he knew that he was lucky he found Princess in the first place. “Alright, let’s try physical!”

Crux, upon hearing May, began to zip about like he’d done to defeat Kyra. Princess took a few hits, and these clearly hurt more than Crux’s beams, but she still seemed able to resist them. Her head followed Crux even as she took hits, and eventually, she counterattacked.

Princess waved her tail, a sheen of water seeping from her body to coat her scales. Just as Crux was charging towards her once again, Princess twisted her body and whipped her tail directly opposite the ghost’s momentum. Yet, the ghost faded out a mere instant before Princess’s attack hit. 

“Agh, that foresight is infuriating!” Seth knew instantly what it was. There was no way Crux would have been able to dodge that if he hadn’t known it was coming.

“You’re open! Do it, Crux!” May ordered. Crux’s eyes flashed, and what looked to be a ray of psychic power extended from his open arms, the air seeming to thrum as it passed. Princess winced as the ray hit her, and just like the Nincada, she began to sway and look about, as though she couldn’t get her bearings. “You’re not the only one who knows how to use status effects!”

“Come on, snap out of it, Princess!” Seth begged, but Crux wasn’t going to give her a chance to recover. The moment his ray hit, Crux returned to the offensive, and this time Princess couldn’t gather her wits enough to counterattack. Seth could do nothing but watch as Crux wore Princess down, until she eventually fell, the serpent falling limp on the street. 

The sizable crowd that had formed around them erupted with cheers, the other trainers moving to congratulate May on her victory. Seth bitterly made his way to Princess, who was already stirring as her injuries regenerated. Nevertheless, he treated her with a potion, stroking the side of her head reassuringly.

“You’re improving, Seth!” May finally addressed him with a compliment that Seth couldn’t bring himself to feel good about. She’d picked his pokemon apart like nothing; he couldn’t recall ever being at such a disadvantage. Even as May walked towards him with Crux floating behind her, Seth resolved that he would need to spend several evenings coming up with a way to circumvent Crux’s foresight advantage. Unless he could figure out how do that, he would never beat May. “Those were some really cool techniques you used; that thing you did with Kyra: the multiple images? That was ingenious!”

“If you say so.” Seth muttered. He glared at her, and then he sighed. May was a good trainer, and he knew that. He reasoned that he was a newer trainer; beating someone experienced and skilled such as May was well out of his reach as he was right now. He shouldn’t make himself look even worse by being a sore loser. Despite thinking that, he felt even worse when Roxanne moved to join them. “Crux is still as strong as I remember.”

“It doesn’t help that he has a type advantage on Kyra. Still, I’m fascinated by that Milotic. I’ve never seen one in person.” May reached out a hand to the recovered Princess...only for her to turn her head away from her and hum threateningly. That, combined with the stare that Kyra was giving her, caused her to chuckle and retreat. May then turned to Roxanne. “Hey, you’re the gym leader, aren’t you?”

“You assume correctly, miss,” Roxanne smiled and performed a small curtsy. Seth couldn’t help but admire her figure as she did so. He forced himself to look away; just because he’d been with her twice didn’t give him the right to stare. “That was an excellent battle. You are both very skilled. It’s also good to see you again, Seth.”

“I wish you hadn’t had to see me lose,” Seth muttered. He noticed the crowd steadily dissipating as they spoke. Before long, they would be alone again. As a response to Seth’s words, May laughed and hugged him around the neck again. “Wha…”

“Don’t be like that! You’ll have plenty of chances to battle me later, and you’re still very new to all this!” May attempted to reassure him, her words sounding sincere. Seth forced himself to relax; he knew himself enough to know that his bitterness at losing was coloring his view of her. May wasn’t the type to gloat. “Besides, I’ll make it up to you in my hotel room later~”

“Oh?” Roxanne raised a brow after hearing that, even as Seth flushed in embarrassment that she’d heard that. A small smile crossed her lips. “Seth, is she, perhaps, the one who relieved you of your virginity?”

Seth choked, not having expected Roxanne to be so blunt about it. May blushed a bit as well; she must have been caught off guard by a gym leader of all people knowing about her sex life. 

“Yeah, that was me. Did he...uh...tell you about me?” May admitted, giving Seth an accusing look.

“No, I simply deduced.” Roxanne shook her head, looking rather pleased with herself. “I too, spent the night with Seth, and he informed me that his first time was recent; sometime after immigrating to Hoenn, I imagine. I simply put two and two together after seeing how affectionate you seem to be with him.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense.” May let that slip past her for several seconds before she did a double take. “Wait, you slept with Seth!? How? When?”

“About a week or so prior, not long after he defeated me at the gym,” Roxanne answered, giggling at May’s reaction. Seth listened to the two of them discuss their escapades with him with embarrassment. He didn’t have any idea how to react to this. He was also worried that they might fight; in Johto, having more than one partner was cause for persecution. “He was lacking in experience, but it was still pleasant for me. He’s considerably well endowed.”

“I know, right?” Contrary to Seth’s expectations, they seemed to be getting along a little too well. May stepped closer to Roxanne. “The best part are those cute girly moans he does, especially when you’re in control.”

“I do seem to recall such, yes. I do enjoy the fair of face and of voice, so such made the encounter a great deal more pleasurable.” Roxanne didn’t seem to mind May’s closer proximity in the slightest. Instead, she turned her body towards her. “Did you know he came onto me as I was trying to cook breakfast?”

“Did he? I’m so proud; I never knew he had it in him to make the first move!” 

“Okay, can we please stop talking about me like I’m not here? This is...really embarrassing.” Seth finally couldn’t take it anymore, and he had to cut in. This only resulted in laughter from the two girls at his expense.

“My apologies, Seth. Such was never my intent,” Roxanne apologized after she finished laughing. She turned to May. “You are an interesting girl. Would you care to tell me your name?”

“Oh right, sorry. I’m May. I’ll probably be challenging you at some point, but probably not until tomorrow. I’m...gonna be busy tonight,” May glanced over at Seth and latched on to one of his arms, making him once again feel very self-conscious. “You understand, right?”

“I do. I wish you both a pleasurable time,” Roxanne responded with a nod. Yet, before the two of them could leave, a thought crossed her mind. “Actually, if I may be so bold...would you, perchance have room for another in your plans for tonight?”

“Wait, what!?” Seth exclaimed, shocked at the implication. May, on the other hand, looked greatly intrigued. 

“Oh wow, you’d do that with us? And here was me thinking you couldn’t get any more awesome,” May let go of Seth and walked back up to Roxanne, blatantly glancing at her bust and then walking around behind her to get a better look at her rear. Roxanne noticed her looking, but didn’t stop her, insead blushing and putting on a sheepish smile. 

In a streak of assertiveness, Roxanne reached forward and grasped the collar of May’s jacket and pulled her in for a kiss. Seth’s eyes widened as May reciprocated the kiss eagerly, the two girls starting to make out in the middle of the street, earning several calls of approval from those still in the streets. Seth could never have expected this; they were the same gender...was that also something accepted in Hoenn?

“Did I prove that assumption false?” Roxanne asked with a hint of smugness in her voice once they broke away.

“Hell yeah, you did. You’re a really good kisser,” May licked her lips, and glanced at Roxanne, her eyes lidded her breathing coming quicker. “How kinky are you?”

“I’ve dabbled in various research topics,” Roxanne returned without missing a beat, somehow still managing to sound formal despite the subject matter. Hearing the two girls talk like this, despite how odd it was for two girls to flirt so blatantly, caused Seth’s pants to become uncomfortably tight. 

“Yeah, let’s get out of here. I have a hotel room near the market district.” May clearly couldn’t wait any longer. Seth yelped as the girl grabbed his and Roxanne’s wrists and pulled them along,with Kyra and Princess following along behind.

* * *

The door to May’s hotel room slammed open, and May grabbed Roxanne and pressed her up against the wall, kissing her fiercely and reaching up a hand to squeeze one of her breasts. Roxanne let out a pleasured sigh, her chest heaving beneath May’s touch. It wasn’t long before May started to strip her down, littering the ground with the gym leader’s clothing.

“Just one moment,” Roxanne, now wearing only a bra on her upper body, placed a hand on May’s chest, keeping the greatly aroused girl from going any further. Roxanne glanced over at Seth, who was standing awkwardly in front of the closed door, Princess on his left and Kyra on his shoulder. “We don’t want to start having too much fun without Seth, do we?”

“You’re right, I don't want to leave him out of it,” May agreed, stepping away from Roxanne. 

“Whoa!” Seth cried out as May grabbed him and dragged him over to the bed, Roxanne assisting by grabbing his other side. They both threw him to the edge of the bed, forcing him into a sitting position. “Wait...hold on...I…this is…”

“Still so shy! Don’t ever change, Seth,” May teased. She climbed onto the bed and stripped away his jacket, tossing it aside before moving to his shirt. Seth gulped, realizing that there was no getting out of this situation. Yet at this point, as May lifted his shirt over his head, Seth no longer wanted to get out it. “Roxanne, can you handle those annoying pants of his?”

“I can. But first, I will relieve you of yours.” Roxanne slipped her fingers into the hem of May’s tights and easily slid them down her slender legs, along with her panties. Roxanne giggled at what she saw, and she grasped May’s butt and spread her cheeks just enough for her to get in and give her slick folds a teasing lick. May gasped and flushed a deep red, and she glanced back at Roxanne, who had already pulled back. “I know; I won’t get started too soon. I simply couldn’t resist. Your rump is very attractive.”

“You are such a tease...just wait until I get my hands on you,” May returned. Roxanne giggled, and then she unzipped Seth’s pants. Before he knew it, he was sitting naked on the bed, his hardened shaft standing erect before the two of them. “Ooh, seems like someone’s been enjoying our little display.”

“I...yeah...I’ve never seen two girls do anything together before…” Seth admitted, unable to meet their gazes. “And I’ve only ever been with one.”

“Homosexual relationships aren’t that unusual in Hoenn, Seth,” Roxanne explained, confirming his earlier thoughts. She unclipped her bra, revealing her bare chest to him. “It’s often how a lot of people have their first experiences.”

“What have I said about looking away, Seth?” May pouted and grabbed Seth by the jaw, forcefully turning his head back to look at them. “It’s okay if you’re embarrassed, but don’t look away. Appreciate who you’re with, or it gets weird!”

“Sorry...this is just...aah…” Seth tried to apologize, but then, Roxanne’s slender fingers curled around the base of his shaft, and she started to stroke him slowly. “Roxanne…”

“I appreciate that sentiment, May. The point of such encounters is not the relations themselves, but with whom you engage in said relations,” Roxanne agreed as she continued to stroke him. “It is important to enjoy the bonds between...ulp!”

May, who had been listening to her, raised an eyebrow, and then she placed her hand on the back of Roxanne’s head and forced her down, such that Seth’s shaft slipped into her mouth, cutting off her words. Roxanne let out a muffled gasp and she gagged slightly on him, but she adjusted quickly and started to suckle him gently.

“You’re so funny, talking like a teacher even when we’re about to have sex,” May commented. When Seth laughed in response, she glanced at him. “Did she do the same with you?”

“She did!” Seth found that amusing, even as he gently squirmed, Roxanne’s mouth feeling warm and pleasantly wet around his member. “Aah...that feels so good…”

“It looks like it does. But don’t hog it all for yourself, Rox.” May eventually tapped on Roxanne’s head, and the gym leader lifted her head, her tongue dragging along Seth’s length as she did so. May hopped off of the bed, and for the first time in weeks, Seth got an up close look of May’s perfectly rounded butt, complete with her arousal steadily trickling down her leg. She then took hold of Seth next. “It’s my turn.”

May took him into her mouth, one of her hands moving down to her entrance, where she began to gently finger herself, her moans muffled by Seth’s length. Roxanne, not one to be a spectator, leaned forward and placed her mouth wherever May wasn’t. Seth’s breathing quickened and he moaned, unable to keep himself quiet. Now, two beautiful women were pleasuring him at once, the two occasionally alternating which one of them was sucking on him.

“Those girly moans are...just the best,” May commented after Seth let out a particularly loud moan. He blushed even deeper, feeling self-conscious of the way he sounded. May suddenly shuddered, and she let out a pleasured grunt, her fluids sprinkling the floor. “Aah...I just came...so good.”

“I have yet to do so. Perhaps a change of position would be in order?” Roxanne suggested, one of her hands idling stroking Seth’s shaft that was now thoroughly coated in saliva. “Any ideas?”

“I have one. Take off your pants while I grab a little something.” May walked over to the other side of the bed, where her travel gear was located. From one of the bags there, she produced what appeared to Seth as a leather belt, but then as it hit the light, his eyes widened. He was gazing at what looked to be a set of firm panties made of leather, with a shaft made of hardened silicon protruding from the crotch area. Additionally, on the inside, two more shafts protruded upwards. 

“What is that?” Seth asked with a hint of perverse curiosity.

“That is a strap-on dildo, often used by pairs females in order to perform in sexual acts resembling that of standard heterosexual intercourse,” Roxanne explained as though she were reading out of a textbook. She then colored slightly, her pants already halfway off. “Oh dear. You intend to use that on me?”

“You guessed it! I got a good look at your butt, and whew.... I gotta have it,” May produced a small bottle and squeezed out a liberal amount of a clear liquid onto each of the different shafts, and then she slipped into the strap-on. “One sec, I gotta ease these in me real quick...wait….aaah!”

May’s eyes suddenly went wide as the two shafts at the base of the strap-on suddenly lifted of their own accord and pressed against both of her entrances. Seth and Roxanne noted Kyra, who seemed to have gotten bored of just watching, was standing on the floor just behind May and was using her telekinesis to assist her in putting on the strap-on. 

“Kyra, you naughty thing...oh gosh, not all at once! Aaaahn!” May’s mouth opened wide and she let out a loud cry as Kyra eased the strap-on on and pushed both shafts into May at once, filling her up completely. “Oh wow...Seth, your pokemon is really kinky.”

“I didn’t expect her to join in either,” Seth admitted. He couldn’t help but smile back when Kyra shot him a smile. “So, what do we do now?”

“Now, Roxanne gets on the bed. Come on, don’t make me move you,” May turned to Roxanne and slapped her on the butt with a wet smack. Roxanne yelped but she did do what she was told, climbing on the bed and sitting down with her legs spread. Her untouched slit, sopping wet from her arousal, left a wet spot on the sheets. “We’re gonna spit roast her. Seth, do you know what that means?”

“Oh...oh my,” Roxanne gulped, her cheeks turning a blazing shade of red. “This will be a new experience for me.”

“I don’t,” Seth admitted. “Is that like the cooking technique?”

“That’s where it got its name. Go on, get on the other end of Roxanne. You’ll take her mouth, and I’ll take this end,” May climbed onto the bed and knelt down in front of Roxanne, her hands pressing down on the latter’s thighs. She brought her hips forward, the tip of her artificial shaft pressing against Roxanne’s entrance. “This won’t be like a blowjob; you’re gonna go all the way into her throat, got it?”

“Will that be okay? Won’t it be hard to breathe?” Seth couldn’t help but find the idea enticing, but he was worried about hurting Roxanne.

“In theory, I can breathe through the sides of my mouth and out through my nose, but as I am rather new to this, I will likely need to tap out once or twice to catch my breath,” Roxanne answered for him. She gave a sheepish giggle, and she laid back flat, one hand reaching out for Seth. “Oh my...I do believe I’m looking forward to this a little.”

“Okay. Definitely let me know if you need air.” Seth climbed up on the bed on the other side of Roxanne, his cock hanging in the air just above her. Roxanne nodded, and she reached her hands back and around Seth. Seth yelped as she grabbed his butt and pulled him forward, her fingers kneading the soft flesh there. She opened her mouth obediently and took him in once again, causing him to gasp and moan. 

“Come on, lean forward. You don’t want to sit on her.” May reached out her hands and pulled Seth forward, such that he was kneeling over Roxanne’s face with his shaft sinking deep into her mouth. He could feel her gag somewhat on him, but then he felt her throat open up and take him in, and it was a wonderful sensation unlike any he’d ever felt before. “Now, just gently rock your hips, and let her handle the rest.”

“O-Okay.” Seth nodded, and gingerly did as he was told, his length slipping in and out of Roxanne’s mouth. As for May, once she was certain that Seth knew what to do, she grasped Roxanne’s butt and pushed her artificial length into the gym leader’s waiting slit. Roxanne shuddered beneath Seth and he felt her throat vibrate around him as she released a muffled moan. May began to thrust, her hips rolling up against Roxanne. “This is...wow…”

“It’s great, right? I’ve been around the...ahhh….block, so to speak, so....nnfff...I know a thing or two about...what I’m...doing...oh, gosh, I’m gonna cum!” May briefly sped up her pace, biting her lip as she soaked the seat of her strap-on. Roxanne spurted her orgasm as well, the girl shaking and whimpering around Seth’s length. “So good...I can’t get enough!”

May pulled Seth forward and kissed him fervently, her warm breath escaping from her nose and ticking his skin. She grabbed one of his hands and placed it upon one of her breasts, which he obediently squeezed for her. For a moment, Seth lost himself in the steadily growing pleasure in his loins, the heavenly taste of May’s lips against his, and the lewd sound of flesh smacking against flesh that filled the air.

Their rough lovemaking continued for several minutes, with Roxanne only needing to take a break once. Yet eventually, Seth started to reach his limit, and he broke away from May.

“May, I’m...ahh...I’m…”

“Getting...hah...close?” 

“Y-Yeah...I can’t...hold it in any longer!”

“Do it! Spill it down her...gnnnf...throat! Are you ready, Rox?” May asked, her eyes fixated on the sight of Seth’s cock pounding away at Roxanne’s mouth.

“Hkk...Glkk...M-Mhmm…” was Roxanne’s muffled response. Hearing her give her permission, Seth hugged May tightly and let himself cum, his loud effeminate moans filling the air as his shaft throbbed inside of Roxanne, releasing his seed deep into her throat. Roxanne gagged, and some of his seed overflowed, trickling down her lips and chin.

“I’m cumming too! Aahh! Aaaahn!” May hugged Seth back, her eyes screwed shut as her entrances squeezed the shafts inside and leaked yet more fluids into the seat of the strap-on. She panted heavily as she came down from her orgasm induced high. “Hah...hah...wow...my mind is just...blleeh.”

Seth pulled out of Roxanne’s mouth gently, wincing a bit as his sensitive head scraped against her teeth. He collapsed back against the pillows, his chest heaving from the exertion. Roxanne rose from the bed, gathering the remaining seed from her chin with her fingers, and then licking them clean.

“That was...a wonderful experience. I don’t believe I’ve ever been treated so roughly before,” Roxanne admitted, leaning against the pillows beside Seth. “I don’t believe I’ll be walking correctly tomorrow. My legs feel rather weak.”

“That just means I did it right!” May laughed as she pulled the soaked strap-on out from within her. “I learned something new today, as well.”

“What’s that?” Seth asked curiously. She gave him a mischievous look; one that made him regret asking.

“So, you like to hug people when you cum, huh?” May asked. Seth immediately turned a deep red, a stream of incoherent words tumbling over his lips. “I never knew you were such a romantic!”

“Shut up; I didn’t see you complaining!” Seth stammered, but it was to no avail; the hot, steamy air filled with the laughter of the two girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> OH MY GAAAAH! I can't believe its been over a year since my last update! I had no idea it had been that long! I won't go into all the messy details that no one much cares for, but I was in a pretty poor job situation that killed my morale to write, so that's the primary reason my updates ceased. I'm in a better job now, so I'd been pounding away at this every day for a while, thanks to a certain blue dragon reminding me that there were people waiting to see more of this!
> 
> This chappy was actually a lot of fun! Between getting a chance to fight team aqua again, more Devon Corporation, fun, and introducing more new characters like Mr. Briney and Mr. Stone (seriously, what is it with this game and not giving people first names!?) there was a lot to cover! And of course, I gave you all a lot more sex, with a little spice added!
> 
> Anyway, I don't know when the next one will be out, but I won't let it go for a year like before! Please, if you've gotten this far in my story, do leave me a review, I appreciate them greatly!


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